ă€ŠBillion Dollar Playeră€‹


 Chapter 1: Limitless

    <h4>Chapter 1: Limitless</h4>

    Darkness that felt like it could devour everything; silence that felt like it could suffocate, and a coldness that seeped deep within the soul...

    Raven didn''t know how long his consciousness roamed in the eternal void. Has it been a week? A month? A year or a decade?

    There was no sense of time or space, just an endless emptiness. He tried to grasp onto a thought or memory, but everything seemed fleeting.

    He didn''t know how long he had been lost in this void. Time wasn''t a tangible concept in this suspended state of mind.

    He couldn''t remember who he was. In the endless passage time, his mind was clouded. The only thing that kept him going was the inexplicable urge to free himself from this endless darkness.

    Even as he had forgotten all about himself, there were still some vague memories that prevented him from going insane.

    In those memories, there were his parents, who were always there for him, until the day they weren''t... It was an unexpected turn of events that changed everything for him.

    It had already been half a decade since Raven had unexpectedly slipped into aa without any clear exnation. For thest five years, his consciousness floated in the endless darkness between life and death, unable to see the light again.

    Gradually, his memories began to fade away, leaving behind only an existence shrouded in darkness.

    He had lost track of time and could not determine how long he had been here. Each passing moment seemed to stretch on endlessly, void of any sense of time.

    As his soul aimlessly roamed theher for an eternity, losing all hope, a shift urred, and a glimmer of light pierced through the boundless darkness.

    The light slowly grew brighter, illuminating the surroundings, while also nourishing Raven''s Soul.

    Along with the boundless light, a mysterious screen appeared before his eyes. It disyed unfamiliar symbols and numbers that seemed to be constantly changing.

    In the end, the symbols stopped changing, turning into words that he could read, as if the screen had finally found thenguage Raven wasfortable with.

    {Congrattions. Your body has been sessfully remodeled. You are now able to ept your Exclusive Skill, Limitless}

    {You have sessfully received ''Limitless''}

    {Please join Hellfire as soon as possible}

    The mysterious screen and the magical voice finally brought Raven out of his daze. After a long time in this scary silence, he was finally able to see and hear something!

    The perpetual abyss dissipated as his awareness reconnected with his physical form, reawakening to the sensations that had eluded him!

    However, right before his soul entered his real body, it seemed to pass through a strange space. Even though it was for a fleeting moment, that was enough to shock Raven to his core.

    In the fleeting moment, he saw a heavily wounded young man who was in his early twenties. His entire body was covered in blood. It was as if the man could die at any moment.

    Even in such bad condition, the man was still standing proudly, holding his sword firmly as if he was prepared to go against the gods!

    "Wei...ss?" Raven''s pupils dted, as he recognised that person.

    However, in the next moment, the scene disappeared, as if everything he saw was nothing more than an illusion.

    Raven had almost forgotten about his existence and most of his memories. However, now that he was out of that nightmare, he was able to remember everything!

    As he gradually awakened, he slowly opened his eyes after five years, only to notice that the light was too bright.

    Moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes, prompting him to shutter them briefly. When he reopened them, he was careful to do so gradually, allowing his vision to adjust to the sudden influx of light.

    Even now, he felt as if his eyesight was hazy. Despite the fuzziness, he could make out lengthy tubes attached to syringes that were entering his veins.

    The oncevish bedroom, where he used to live, now amodated top-of-the-line medical equipment that was solely responsible for sustaining his fragile life during thest five years.

    As he woke up, he was ovee with weakness, rendering his hands almost immobile. His thoughts were jumbled, and he felt as though he had been in a deep slumber for an eternity. The passage of time was uncertain to him ¨C it seemed as though an unfathomable length had psed.

    He was so weak that he couldn''t even sit up.

    After a prolonged daze, he stirred, attempting to utter a call for assistance. However, his speech was fragmented, conveying the impression that he was disoriented and struggling to recollect how tomunicate effectively.

    Furthermore, it seemed that even if he had the ability to speak, his voice would not have been audible to anyone as it was too feeble.

    His mind was still filled with confusion, however thanks to slowly recovering his memories, he remembered his past.

    He remembered the moments before he had fallen into a deep slumber. He still couldn''t believe what had happened to him.

    Seven years ago, he had inherited the Astral Group after his parents'' death which was a multi-billion dor conglomerate founded by his father.

    It made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. The luxurious estate of his family, which rivaled the British Royal Pce in size, served as a testament to their opulence.

    At the young age of neen, he assumed responsibility for leading the Astral Corporation.

    However, around five years ago, everything changed. At that time, he was going through some business documents when a mysterious screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.

    {Congrattions! You have been selected to enter Hellfire}

    {Exclusive Skill ''Limitless'' has been received}

    {Error: Your body isn''t capable of amodating Limitless}

    {Your body will be modified to amodate Limitless}

    {Body shutting down for reconstruction}

    The words were thest sound he heard before the world around him plunged into an abyss of darkness.

    From that moment, his entire being felt lifeless. For five long years, he wandered through a never-ending nightmare, suspended in an endless void, without any sense of belonging or purpose.

    After what seemed like an endless wait, a simr screen finally materialized before him and he was finally free of that nightmare!

    "I told you. The chances of him waking up are getting slimmer day by day. We don''t even know what''s wrong with him, let alone how to wake him up. All the scans arepletely normal!"

    As Raven was still trying toprehend the situation, an audible voice caught his attention from outside of the room.

    "I think it''s better for you to pull the plug. It''s already been five years since he went into thata! This kind of pitiful life... It might be better for you to free him from this..."

    "I can''t. After the disappearance of Weiss five years ago, Young Master Raven is the only heir of the Astral Household. I can''t let anything happen to him!" came an old voice in response.

    As the door to the room swung open, a middle-aged man with a white beard, donning a white coat entered. He was apanied by an elderly man, who appeared to be in histe sixties.

    Though Raven didn''t immediately recognize the middle-aged man, his professional attire made it evident that he was a doctor. However, the man standing behind him was a familiar figure. He was the head butler of the Astral Household who had left quite asting impression.

    Hearing the conversation between the two men, Raven was slightly stunned. His expressions changed.

    He couldn''t help but think back to the scene where he saw a bloodied young man standing all alone. That person''s face was very simr to his little brother Weiss, albeit he appeared a little older.

    "What... happened... to Weiss?" With great struggle, he finally managed to speak even when his body felt so weak.

    Despite speaking softly, his voice was akin to a loud p of thunder to the Doctor and the Head Butler. As soon as they noticed that Raven''s eyes were open, it seemed like they had seen a ghost.

    "You''re awake!" The Head Butler''s eyes lit up in excitement. Finally, after five years, Raven was awake!

    The sight before him seemed too surreal to believe. He had lost all hope of ever witnessing it. He rubbed his eyes, trying toprehend if he was hallucinating.

 Chapter 2: For You

    <h4>Chapter 2: For You</h4>

    "Where is Weiss?!" Raven inquired, still finding it a little difficult to speak. Fortunately, he had noticeably improved from before.

    The doctor and the Head Butler exchanged a nce before the doctor gave a slight shake of his head.

    In a hushed tone, he said, "He has just regained consciousness. We shouldn''t burden him with additional stress at this point."

    As he reached for an injection from a nearby drawer, he turned to Raven.

    "After a prolonged slumber, your body may feel frail and vulnerable. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize your healing above all other matters. Avoid distractions and concentrate solely on restoring your health first."

    He carefully inspected the injection, ensuring that there were no remaining air bubbles present, and then approached Raven, extending the syringe towards the young man''s hand.

    Surprisingly, Raven pped away his stretched hands and pushed the injection aside, demanding an answer to his question.

    Even though his body was weak, that didn''t mean he was a child. He couldn''t be distracted that easily.

    Currently, more than his recovery, his mind was focused on his brother. That strange sight of his brother before he woke up, and now this... Something didn''t feel right.

    The syringe slipped from the doctor''s grasp,nding on the ground with a soft thud. He nced back at Raven, expressing mild irritation, but also sympathizing with the young man''s situation.

    Just two years prior to hisa, Raven experienced the loss of both his parents. Upon awakening from hisa, he learned that his brother had also gone missing. His emotional distress wasn''t surprising.

    "Fine. Tell him."

    In the end, he gave the head butler permission to tell Raven. Since Raven wasn''t listening, it was better to give him what he wanted. Only when he realized how helpless his brother''s situation was, could he agree to further treatment without resistance.

    The Head Butler appeared uncertain, but upon catching sight of Raven''s worried yet feeble gaze, he began to speak. "Five years ago, right around the time when you went into aa..."

    "What happened five years ago?" Raven furrowed his brow, attempting to sit upright. However, he found that he didn''t have the strength to do so.

    Luckily, the butler came to his aid and assisted him in sitting up while also positioning the pillow to provide extra support for his back.

    "Hellfire..." The old man spoke only one word, but that one word was enough to stun Raven. This was a name he had seen many times on the screen that appeared before him! He still had no idea what Hellfire was!

    As if noticing the confusion on Raven''s face, the Butler further continued. "Hellfire was the name of an app that appeared in every device at the same time on the day you went into aa."

    "At first, people thought this was some virus. However, no matter what one tried, they couldn''t remove the app from their phone. Most people couldn''t even open that app. It was like a dead app."

    "Only some people were able to open the app. However, all those who managed to do so, disappeared soon after. Initially, no one knew why some people could open the app while the others couldn''t."

    "However, one thing wasmon between all those people who managed to open the app..." The Butler stated.

    "What thing?" Raven asked, frowning.

    The memory of the elusive message on the screen urging him to join Hellfire was still fresh in his mind. He couldn''t shake off the feeling that his experiences over the past five years were somehow linked to the app.

    "They all reported seeing a screen that talked about them receiving some kind of Exclusive Skill..." As the Butler spoke more, Raven was even more taken aback. "However, all of them talked about different skills. No two people received the same skills."

    The Head Butler rted to him all the information that had been gathered about the app thus far.

    ording to him, Hellfire was the name of a new and unknown world, and only the app could provide ess to a mythical, game-like realm that was brimming with secrets of the universe.

    Unfortunately, the information that he could gather was limited as no one knew what happened once one disappeared.

    "Young Master Weiss was amongst the ones who entered Hellfire, disappearing forever... No one who entered Hellfire ever managed to return. So the hope for Young Master Weiss-"

    "Enough!" Raven intervened, guessing what the Head Butler was about to say. However, he couldn''t ept that! There was no way that his brother was dead.

    As for the vision that he saw before he woke up, he refused to believe it! There was no way!

    "Nothing will happen to him! I''ll bring that idiot back!"

    Even though his face was pale and his body frail, his eyes revealed the same old determination that he used to have when he managed Astral Corporation worth hundreds of billions! It was the dignity of the Astral heir!

    Still, he was quite furious that his brother took such a risk. There was no need for his brother to enter Hellfire, even if he received some skill!

    "That fool! I thought he matured after our parents'' death, but to think that he would still do something so foolish!"

    Even though he was angry. However, most of that anger was because he cared about his brother. No matter what the world of Hellfire was, he had to find his brother!

    "You idiot... Why would you do it? Why didn''t you live safely in this world when I went to sleep!" Raven revealed a deste look.

    He didn''t want to be left alone in this world. He didn''t want to lose someone else after his parents. Weiss was the only family he had left! The two of them had grown up together, only having one year of age difference.

    Looking at Raven''s expressions, the Head Butler also felt bad. However, he could also understand why Weiss did this.

    "He did it for you..." Even though he didn''t want to speak of it, in the end, he couldn''t control himself.

    Raven lifted his gaze, furrowing his brow. "What do you mean?"

    "He did it for you," the old man continued. "When you went into aa, none of the doctors had any idea as to why that happened. It was not normal. However, Hellfire also appeared at the same time."

    The Head Butler stepped closer to the bed, sitting at the edge.

    "Young Master Weiss thought that what happened to you was rted to Hellfire. That also made him believe that the way to save you was also inside the world of Hellfire."

    "Most people went to Hellfire because it was said to contain many mystical treasures and even a way to be a god. But Young Master Weiss wasn''t interested in that. He only went there to find a method to wake you up. s he... he never returned..."

    As the Butler spoke, his voice kept getting lower and lower, as if he was ming himself for not stopping Weiss.

    "For me...?" Raven muttered, dazed, taken aback. So it was all because of him?!

    He still remembered how his parents died. Until now, he still med himself for what happened that day to his parents. And now his brother too... Because of him?!

    The Butler couldn''t help but raise his head, looking up. "If he knew that you were awake, he would''ve been so happy..."

    "He''s not dead!" Raven insisted, clenching his fist. "I''ll bring that little brat back, even if I had to dig Hellfire inside out!"

    "You can''t! We can''t lose you too! That ce... There''s no way to return after you go there!" The old butler already believed that Weiss was dead! He didn''t want Raven to go there, only to end up getting trapped there as well!

    Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried to convince Raven, the young man just didn''t listen. It was as if his mind was already made up!

    He was going to enter Hellfire, starting a new era that no one could imagine... Not even the godsˇ­

 Chapter 3: Breaking the Limit

    <h4>Chapter 3: Breaking the Limit</h4>

    Hellfire was a mysterious world that had remained unknown to humanity for a long time. The sudden connection of this world to Earth left everyone baffled and clueless about its purpose and existence.

    Even though it sounded like a game-like world, it was definitely not virtual reality. One could only go there with their real body. However, with the current condition of his body, Raven knew that it was only suicide to go there.

    First, he needed to regain his health while striving to collect as much knowledge as possible about his unfamiliar surroundings. And that''s what he worked toward.

    ....

    Over the next two days, the doctor made frequent visits to Raven''s room to provide him with different medications aimed at elerating his recovery and restoring his previous level of strength.

    Despite being bedridden for years, Raven was able to stand and walk without any support after only two days. Additionally, he conducted further research into Hellfire, delving into all avable information, publicly and privately. Even if he had to pay for information, he didn''t hesitate.

    During his days, he also started paying attention to the Astral Corporation. Despite his longa, thepany''s board of directors had sessfully maintained thepany''s stability to the best of their capacity.

    As Raven prepared for his journey to Hellfire, uncertain of his chances of returning to earth, he also contacted awyer and made a will.

    ording to his will, if he couldn''t return alive in the next ten years, then he was to be assumed dead, and most of his shares were to be donated to charity. As for the rest of his shares, he left them to the loyal servants that had stayed with him for thest five years.

    The Astral household''s servants were loyal, their dedication was not fueled by financial gain. He had a feeling that if he told them he was leaving some shares for them, they would''ve attempted to persuade him otherwise so he kept that a secret for the time being.

    After tending to all other matters, he devoted his full focus to his recuperation. Despite being cautioned against overexertion, his stubborn nature prevailed.

    The recovery that everyone said would take months... He manages to achieve that within one week! Even though he still wasn''t at his peak condition, he was able to run now.

    In fact, the rate of his recovery stunned even the doctor himself, who didn''t think it was humanly possible to recover this fast!

    Raven''s speech, and his vision... Everything had recovered. If anything, he felt that his vision was even better than it used to be in the past.

    He didn''t know if it was because of the Limitless skill that he was able to recover faster, but his goal remained the same!

    Three more days passed and Raven finally felt as if he was back to his old self!

    He summoned everyone to the hall, informing them that he was going to be leaving soon. Even now, the servants didn''t stop trying to persuade him, but to no avail.

    Raven turned to acknowledge everyone in the room one final time before leaving. The group of servants could only stand by, powerless to stop their master from entering his bedroom and locking the door.

    It was as if this was theirst meeting with their young master...

    ****

    Raven stood inside the room, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. Without any hesitation, he opened the cursed app. Its icon, eerily resembling a live me, flickered in front of him. As he moved his finger closer to it, he could even feel the warmth emanating from the icon.

    Taking a deep breath, he finally pressed the icon.

    Upon opening the app, the initial screen presented the name, Hellfire. However, under that name, there was another sentence which made Raven quite curious, "Retribution of Gods."

    While he was curious, a new page opened, revealing the option to recharge his ount with Hellfire Coins.

    During his research, he had heard quite a lot about Hellfire Coins, which was the currency of the new world. It was said that a person could spend human money to recharge their ount before entering Hellfire.

    The Hellfire Coins were widely utilized in the realm of Hellfire as the principal currency, serving various purposes such as acquiring valuable artifacts, medicines, and evennd.

    That''s why, almost all yers who entered Hellfire tried their best to take as many Hellfire Coins with them as possible. Unfortunately, there was a limitation.

    A person could only spend hundred thousand dors worth of real life money to get the Hellfire Coins. The conversion rate was 1:1.

    Raven was already prepared to spend to the limit. However, as soon as the recharge screen opened up, the mysterious yet familiar system screen once again appeared before him.

    [Recharge Screen Opened]

    [You can only recharge your Hellfire ount with up to a Hundred Thousand Dors of human currency]

    Raven already knew this information so he wasn''t that surprised. However, what appeared next truly stunned him.

    {Passive Skill Limitless has been activated. The Recharge Limit has been removed!}

    "Recharge Limit is broken?" He furrowed his brow, caught off guard by this new information.

    Despite his extensive research on Hellfire, he had nevere across anything like it. Nheless, he was aware that every yer possessed a unique Exclusive Skill that was granted to them before then entered Hellfire.

    It was evident that this was the work of his Exclusive Skill... A skill whose description only had one vague line that he still remembered!

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? yer Name: Limitless

    ? yer ID: 001

    ? Exclusive Skill Number: 001

    ? Rank: Unknown

    ? Description: Allows the host to break every Limit.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven had initially dismissed the skill as a waste of time after reading its description. He never expected that it was something which could even break the Limits of Hellfire itself...

    No matter what, he knew that this was an opportunity.

    In a rush, he began to gather as much money as he could. Since he had already opened the app, the hour long timer already started, leaving him not enough time to arrange money.

    He realized it would be difficult to sell all of his shares on such short notice without causing harm to thepany and ruining his father''s legacy.

    Thankfully, he had some options to secure funds. With the app already opened, he had a limited window of one hour to make a recharge before being sent to Hellfire.

    He worked to the best of his abilities during that one hour, doing everything he could to gather more money!

    Despite not reaching his desired goal, he still managed to collect just over a billion dors within thest five minutes before the deadline expired.

    He entered the number in the system screen.

    [1,000,876,937]

    [Transaction Sessful]

 Chapter 4: Taken

    <h4>Chapter 4: Taken</h4>

    Uponpleting, he promptly received a notification that the funds were withdrawn from his bank ount, without the need to link his ount or enter any codes within the app. The process worked so seamlessly that it was mildly unnerving.

    As soon as the one hour was over, Raven found himself engulfed in darkness, as if the world had vanished and he had been pulled into a void.

    He had lost all control of his body, experiencing a sensation of being constrained by different dimensions. The feeling was akin to soaring through the air while also plummeting to the ground simultaneously.

    [Wee to Hellfire]

    As he came to a halt from his fall, a screen he recognized appeared. He took notice of his feetnding on the ground which didn''t feel solid, rather quite soft like grass. Although his vision was still dark, he felt a sense of relief standing on the ground finally.

    As the world gradually brightened, Raven''s surroundings came into view. Much to his astonishment, the location was vastly different from what he had anticipated!

    Although he had the sensation of standing on grass, the reality was that he stood on a hard floor. The small room that surrounded him added to his confusion, as he could feel the gentle brush of wind against his skin, despite being indoors.

    Despite the absence of any birds in the room, he could still hear intermittent chirping noises.

    "This is... Hellfire?" As Raven spun around, he realized that he was standing alone in an unfamiliar ce.

    His mind raced as he searched for a way out, but to his surprise, there was no exit visible anywhere in the room. He couldn''t help feeling perplexed and lost, wondering how he was supposed to leave this ce.

    There was no one he could ask anything either.

    "A new yer from earth? How long has it been since thest one came from there? Interesting."

    As Raven surveyed his surroundings, a voice startled him from behind. Suddenly, a person materialized seemingly out of nowhere.

    The gender of the speaker was indiscernible from their voice, leaving Raven perplexed as to whether they were a man or woman. As he turned around to identify the speaker, he was surprised by what he saw.

    He noticed a shadowy figure standing behind him. However, he couldn''t quite discern whether it was a human or not, as the person''s head was enveloped in a hazy mist, obstructing his view.

    He observed that the person had donned a lengthy white coat, which reached down to his ankles. He seemed to be mostly humanoid in appearance, in terms of his physique. Nevertheless, there was a discernible peculiarity to him - the man had an extended, reptilian tail that trailed behind him.

    Raven was stunned. Until now, he had only read about such people in fantasy books when he was little. However, to see one in real life... If he hadn''t researched Hellfire beforeing here, he would''ve thought that he was still in a dream.

    "Stop looking at my tail. Didn''t anyone teach you proper manners?"

    Raven lowered his gaze as the man responded with a displeased voice.

    "I''m the Guardian of the Bloodline Trials. I''ll be your guide to assist you with the setup process," the man said with a smile, as if his previous displeasure waspletely gone. "To begin, let''s choose a name for you."

    "Don''t worry. I''ve heard many embarrassing nicknames used by yers. You can freely tell me," he said in a teasing voice, as if he was expecting an interesting selection of names.

    "Raven, that''s the name I want," Raven responded, not minding the strange behavior of the reptilian being.

    "Quite boring," said the man in ackadaisical tone, shaking his head. "Regrettably, someone else has already imed that name."

    Raven furrowed his brows in confusion. He was already behind the others by five years, and there weren''t many options left to choose from.

    "Astral?" he let out, selecting hisst name.

    "Also taken."

    "Wind?"

    "Taken."

    "Sun?"

    "Taken..."

    "XAEAXII?"

    "Also taken."

    The Guardian looked at Raven weirdly before shaking his head. "If you''re having a hard time selecting a name, how will you face the yers who have already be as strong as gods in Hellfire?"

    Raven continuously suggested names that came to mind, only to discover that they were already in use.

    He persisted for several hours, trying different names but to no avail. In an outburst of frustration, he finally asked, "Is there any name avable that hasn''t been taken?"

    Raven was unable to see the lizard man''s face, yet he had a strong feeling that the man was smirking in response.

    The Bloodline Guardian shrugged in response. "Many. Keep going. Maybe you''ll find one that''s not taken..."

    Raven''s was starting to feel tired. However, he still continued. "Myth?"

    "Taken."

    "Hellfire?" Raven asked.

    Hearing the name, the Guardian was slightly taken aback. However, eventually, he burst intoughter. "I think that''s avable."

    "Are you sure you want to use the world''s name? You might face some interesting things in the future..."

    "Better than going back and forth over names for an hour. I''ll take Hellfire as my name." Ultimately, Raven joined in agreement. The entire experience had left him feeling fatigued. He didn''t want to go through it again.

    [You''ve selected ''Hellfire'' as your name]

    "Excellent. Your name is finalized. Now, let me review your information," the reptilian creature gestured, causing a screen to materialize before him. "I don''t oftene across new yers from Earth, so I''m quite intrigued."

    Unlike Raven''s screen, the one that appeared before him had a different appearance, as it was colored in a dark blue hue.

    "Strange..." The Guardian appeared taken aback, looking at the screen.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Hellfire

    of Origin: Earth.

    Age: 24

    Exclusive Skill: ???

    Exclusive Skill Number: ???

    Coins: ???

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "What is his Exclusive Skill? Why can''t I see its information? This doesn''t make sense at all. Unless he has exclusive skills numbered in the top ten, but that''s impossible. Is there some problem with his information?"

    The Guardian seemed to be engaged in a conversation with himself, as he made another attempt, only to face the same result once more.

    Despite multiple attempts, he couldn''t ess the desired information. He was keen to directly ask Raven but the rules he was obligated to follow restricted him from doing so, unless he was ready to face fatal consequences.

    "Exclusive Skills ranked in the top ten?" Raven inquired, keeping a calm expression on his face. He didn''t know why, but he didn''t tell the other person about Limitless, since he had already used that skill to cheat in a way.

    "You don''t need to know that. Those existences are beyond your reach," the Lizard-man responded. "They''re like demigods in Hellfire already, with strength far beyond anything you can imagine."

    "They are one of the most talented beings, who were the first to awaken. If I''m not wrong, there was quite an interesting human amongst them. Someone called Weiss. What a pity that he died so soon. I really expected him to achieve moreˇ­"

 Chapter 5: Bloodline

    <h4>Chapter 5: Bloodline</h4>

    "Weiss?!" Raven''s voice boomed in response upon hearing the familiar name.

    He didn''t believe that it was his brother! There were millions of people in this world who came from earth. There was already someone who had used Raven as a name, so it wasn''t impossible for someone to use his brother''s name as well.

    "Your response is quite interesting..." The creature with reptilian features spoke, disying a hint of curiosity. "Do you know that person?"

    As he spoke, he made a peculiar gesture, conjuring an image simr to a hologram in front of him, depicting the yer he was referring to.

    The person in the hologram was a young man with striking short red hair that seemed to be aze. d in stunning silver armor, he had the air of a warrior about him. Despite this, his body was not bulky, and without his armor, many would have mistaken him for a model.

    Upon catching sight of the hologram, Raven instinctively took a couple of steps backward, his countenance disying a profound sense of distress and confusion.

    Staring at the person in the hologram, he couldn''t ignore the familiarity of the features - it was his little brother. It dawned on him that the person this man talked about was exactly his younger brother!

    "It can''t be..."

    Throughout his life, Raven seldom lost hisposure. The news of his parents'' demise was the first instance that caused him to break down. Now, he found himself on his knees once again, bewildered by how he had gotten there.

    He had traveled to this ce with the hope of finding his brother and returning together. Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he learned that his brother had already passed away, leaving him with a profound sense of solitude in this world.

    He was flooded with a plethora of memories, all revolving around his brother. It was as if the world around him had momentarily disappeared.

    His mind was flooded with memories of his childhood filled with ytime andughter, and the countless wild parties he and his brother attended during their youth, indulging themselves in alcohol. Despite just a one-year age difference, the bond between the two brothers was irreceable.

    They were each other''s best friends, always there for each other, even when they got in trouble with their parents. They stood by one another and neverined, choosing to face the consequences together.

    After the tragic loss of his parents, Raven went through a significant transformation. His rtionships became strained, particrly with his brother, as he devoted much of his attention to the family business. It was as if he had undergone a sudden and rapid maturation process.

    ****

    [Five years ago]

    Weiss stepped into Raven''s room and saw him engrossed in a file, going through some documents.

    "Do you need something?" Raven asked, without even raising his head. "If you want money, just take as much as you want from the ountant."

    "That''s... I don''t need money," Weiss replied, slightly hesitant. "I was just thinking that you''ve been too busy in thest year. You shouldn''t overwork yourself. I don''t want you to get sick, brother."

    He wanted to suggest that the two of them should go on some vacation together like old times, however before he could even speak a single word, Raven responded.

    "And do what? Waste time like you and watch dad''s legacy being destroyed in my hands?" Raven asked, slightly sarcastic.

    "If you don''t have anything else to say, leave. I am busy."

    Since he was already troubled about some business dealing, he didn''t pay much attention to Weiss, not knowing that this was thest meeting between them, since this was the day he fell into a longa.

    ****

    Sitting on his knees, Raven recalled thest words he spoke to his brothers. The words were like a sword, stabbed deep within his heart.

    Because he lost some people dear to him, he forgot that there was another person who was close to him that needed his attention. It was only now that he realized how wrong he was. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to, he could never talk to his brother now!

    Even when he scolded his little brother in theirst meeting, his brother still entered this dangerous world, all to help him wake up from hisa.

    Raven experienced an overwhelming sense of disorientation, feeling as if he had been left alone without direction or guidance, uncertain of his next steps.

    "It appears that my assumption was correct. You seem to be familiar with the child. Fascinating. May I ask about your rtionship with him?" The Guardian inquired, noticing Raven''s peculiar reaction.

    "How did he die?!" Raven remained silent and posed a question in response. His expression appeared stoic and his hands tightly balled into fists.

    Upon hearing the guide''s recollection of his brother and the admiration he held for him, it became evident that his brother was not a weak individual during his time in this world. Therefore, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his brother''s death left questions and confusion.

    "From your reaction, I suppose the guy was very close to you. However, even if you know how he died, you can''t do anything. The people who killed him... They aren''t someone who you can stand against. If anything, I would suggest that you hide the fact that you ever knew this guy."

    "Because if they found out that you had some rtion to the Ninth Overlord of Earth, then you will follow your brother''s footsteps in his eternal resting ce."

    The response from the Guardian wasn''t straightforward, but Raven was able to discern important implications from his words. It became clear that his brother''s death was not an ident, but rather a deliberate act.

    "Who?!" Raven asked, as a trace of murderous intent shed in his eyes. It didn''t matter who killed his brother! Even if that person was god himself, he had to kill him!

    The Bloodline Guardian remained quiet for a while. He knew better than to answer Raven''s question, as he could predict that disclosing the truth would only push Raven towards seeking revenge - a goal that could never be attained.

    He could only divert the conversation to a different subject.

    "I''m running out of time. Enough of that. Let''s get back on track, before I disappear."

    He pped his hand once, making a door appear behind him on the wall that previously wasn''t there. "Before you begin your journey in the Hellfire, there are some important things you should be aware of. Since I''ve dealt with people from earth before, it should be easy to exin."

    "I''m sure you''ve yed games on earth? Games where a yer can have sses like Mage ss, Warriors ss and more? The World of Hellfire is simr."

    "Instead of being categorized by the ss, the yers are categorized by their bloodline. The Bloodline Trial serves as the starting point for every yer, where their performance determines the type of bloodline they will receive before they really enter the world of Hellfire."

    "In this world, the Bloodlines are categorized into different levels of hierarchy. These levels, from the lowest to the highest, are referred to as Low Grade, Mid-Grade, High Grade, Epic Grade, Legendary Grade, and Mythical Grade."

    "The grade of bloodline you acquire is determined by a variety of factors, including the amount of time it takes you to sessfully clear all the challenges. However, there are additional factors that cannot be revealed at this time."

    The Guardian exined the basics of Bloodline slowly yet carefully, since this was why he was actually here. This was his second responsibility other than name selection. This was the extent of his control in Hellfire.

    "Also, since you know Weiss, I should tell you that he received a Legendary Grade Shadow Monarch Bloodlines from the Bloodline Trial since he managed to finish Bloodline Trials in the fifth shortest time. His Bloodline was also amongst the best in the Legendary Grade."

    "Do you understand why I''m telling you this?" he asked, as if implying something. "If he can die even with one of the best bloodlines and Rank Nine Exclusive Skill, then you should imagine just what kind of mountain stands in your path of revenge..."

    "If you want to seed in the future, you better give it your all. Even though it''s unlikely, maybe you''ll be able to achieve the revenge that you crave one day...."

    As soon as the lizard man finished his speech, his form began to vanish, bing ethereal before fully disappearing.

    His final words lingered in the air, the only remnants of his presence. "After you receive your Bloodline, you''ll be sent to the starting point in Hellfire. I wish you luck, young man. I hope you''ll survive longer than he didˇ­"

 Chapter 6: Ice Wolves; an opportunity!

    <h4>Chapter 6: Ice Wolves; an opportunity!</h4>

    The moment the enigmatic man vanished, the door situated at the opposite end of the chamber swung open.

    The room suddenly flooded with a radiant light, catching Raven off-guard and momentarily blinding him. As he gradually regained his vision, he noticed a circr portal hovering a few feet above the ground. An irresistible force pulled him towards it, and he was instinctively drawn towards the portal.

    Regardless, it appeared to be the sole escape route from this ce as he couldn''t spot any other avable options.

    He inhaled deeply before walking towards the portal, sensing an unusual energy emanating from it. As he approached, he noticed that the vortex was swirling with vibrant colors, as if it were a doorway to a different realm.

    Raven didn''t falter, bravely taking the final step into the vortex. In an instant, he was engulfed by a powerful force, causing him to close his eyes tightly. The sensation was indescribable; he felt as though he were being pulled and stretched in every direction. It was an experience that felt both surreal and authentic at the same time.

    When Raven finally blinked his eyes open, he discovered himself transported to a drastically different environment. The sky had a vivid hue of purple, and the trees had an appearance of being crafted from ss.

    It was all peculiar, yet he felt a strange sense of familiarity. As he began to venture out and examine this ce, he pondered on what kind of trial he had been put through.

    As he proceeded further into the unfamiliar terrain, a sense of unease crept up on him; it seemed like he had been traversing the same path repeatedly.

    Every path he took seemed to lead him back to where he started, and he began to feel frustrated. Just when he was about to stop, he noticed a small glimmer of light in the distance.

    The small glimmer of light floated closer to him, slowly circling around, as if it was scanning Raven to know his strength and his characteristics.

    Raven was filled with apprehension as the bright light scanned his body, unsure of the nature of the examination. Despite his misgivings, he remained motionless, unwilling to provoke the unknown force that governed this bizarre ce.

    As soon as the unusual light hadpleted its scan, it gradually dimmed into the form of a dainty sword, which floated in front of Raven. It seemed to be beckoning him to extend his hand and take hold of it.

    Simultaneously, a peculiar set of instructions popped into his mind regarding the initial evaluation. Even though he had never used a sword to fight, but for the first test, he was to use the sword that he had been granted, and fight the Ice Wolves.

    The test was going tost for half an hour and to pass this first test, he had to survive those thirty minutes! Unfortunately, that didn''t appear to be easy in the least.

    He gained another realization that death in this basic trial was irreversible. If he perished, there would be no chance of revival. Additionally, neers like him were not provided with any form of beginner protection.

    With a firm grip on the Sword, Raven looked serious as he prepared for the dangerous test ahead.

    Despite the risks involved, he remained unafraid. After all, if his own brother had been able to pass this very same test, how could he even consider seeking revenge without proving his own worth and capabilities first?

    If he couldn''t even do what his little brother was able to, then it would''ve been too frustrating for him.

    With a deep breath, Raven stepped forward and steeled himself for the impending trial with unwavering resolve. High up in the sky, a countdown timer loomed, reminding him that only ten minutes remained before the trialmenced.

    The air grew thicker and the surroundings distorted as he reached closer to the trial. The Sword felt heavier in his grip, but he pushed through, knowing that he had to seed.

    Fortunately, there was one piece of good news for him. To maintain the fairness of the Bloodline Trial, the strength of the Ice Wolves that one had to face depended on the yer taking the trial.

    Every world and species possesses unique characteristics, some more powerful than those of humans, while others exhibit extraordinary speed or other exceptional abilities.

    As yers took on their first trial for Bloodline, they were confronted with challenges that align with their innate strengths, increasing the difficulty level.

    During the Ice Wolf Trial, the participant''s human identity provided a slight advantage in terms of facing rtively weaker wolvespared to other species, which made itparatively easier for them to survive thirty minutes. However, the Raven remained cautious as this was his first encounter with these creatures.

    After a short wait, the timer came to its end, vanishing from the sky. The once serene sky now transformed into a scary red hue, while an ominous atmosphere engulfed the surroundings.

    Over ten Ice Wolves appeared all around Raven, surrounding him from every side. Their fur shimmered in the crimson moonlight shine, and their piercing sapphire eyes were fixed on Raven, seemingly eager to tear his head off.

    Raven stood still, taking a deep breath, analyzing their movements. It was his first time seeing such creatures that looked simr to Wolves on earth yet werepletely different.

    The arrival of the Ice Wolves has coincided with a decrease in the surrounding temperature that dropped to freezing.

    Despite the cold, Raven remained focused. He understood the gravity of the situation and knew that one wrong move could mean the end for him. This was not just a game, and he couldn''t afford to make any mistakes.

    Eventually, the Ice Wolves sprang into action with lightning-fast movements that took Raven off guard. In a matter of moments, they swiftly descended on him from all sides, startling him with their remarkable agility and speed.

    Raven was confronted by one of the Ice Wolves, with its sharp ws poised to strike and seemingly ready to tear him apart.

    Raven''s lightning-fast reflexes kicked in as he leaped to the side, narrowly dodging the attack.

    He was aware that in order to survive, he needed to stay vignt and concentrate. He felt a rush of energy coursing through his body as he hit the ground and readied himself for the forting onught.

    The pack of Ice Wolves continued to circle him, growling menacingly as they lunged forward to strike. Raven remained agile, dodging and counter-attacking whenever he saw an opportunity.

    He narrowly dodged another Ice Wolf that jumped over him, by dropping down to the ground. Reacting quickly, he gathered his courage and counterattacked at that exact moment. He aimed his Sword upwards, piercing the body of the Ice Wolf with a swift and powerful strike!

    The tenacious Ice Wolf persisted in its attack, shredding Raven''s chest and leaving behind a deep, bleeding gash that elicited a pained groan from Raven.

    The cry of the Ice Wolf echoed in agony, as its strength rapidly dissipated, while Raven deftly removed his sword.

    The wolf copsed onto the ground, its life slowly slipping away as it bled out. Its eyes eventually shut, marking the end of its journey.

    Raven didn''t have the luxury of dwelling on the wound on his chest. Despite the intense pain that made hisplexion nch, he valiantly repelled yet another assaulting beast.

    [You have killed an Ice Wolf]

    [Level +1]

    As he took down a wolf, he finally came to the realization that his reflexes and observation skills had dramatically improved since waking up from his longa. It was a revtion that made him feel slightly amazed since those skills came in really handy in this battle.

    The Ice Wolves may have been enveloped in a formidable Ice Armor, but the Sword in his possession proved to be a powerful weapon that was able to pierce through their Ice Armor.

    It appeared that the Sword was provided to him following the scan, possibly in an effort to even the ying field between the two sides to give him a better chance at survival. However, he instead took that chance to kill the wolves instead!

    Furthermore, the thrill of killing an Ice Wolf had given him a newfound sense of strength. He had even achieved his first level up! Despite it being a trial, it was still a significant achievement for him.

    This made him feel slightly relieved! He realized that this was an opportunity for him to grow stronger and level up more!

    He just had to survive to pass this trial but if he killed them, that gave him even more benefits in the form of battle experience and level ups. This was a pleasant surprise, that made him momentarily forget the pain from his bleeding chest.

    Uncertain about the forting challenge in the Bloodline Trials, he resolved to enhance his strength in the first trial! His goal was to be as strong as possible to face any challenge thates his way during the trial.

    He craved strength! Not just to simply clear the trials but to dominate it! His Brother received Legendary Bloodline yet fell. That meant he had to get something stronger! He had to at least find a way to get a Mythical Bloodline to have a chance!

 Chapter 7: Not like you can afford it

    <h4>Chapter 7: Not like you can afford it</h4>

    [Level +1]

    Raven extracted his sword, its de dripping with blood. He used the grass to wipe it clean, scanning his surroundings with caution.

    Despite sustaining numerous w wounds all over his body and bleeding profusely, he managed to remain on his feet. His torn clothes bore evidence of the vicious attack.

    The aftermath of the intense battle filled the air with a bloody scent, as Raven looked across the battlefield.

    From his initial struggle to keep up with the Ice Wolves, he had gradually gained momentum as the fight wore on. Eventually, he defeated all ten of them in just ten minutes, effectively halving the allotted time for the trial.

    In addition, he had progressed three levels higher during his quest. His focus had been solely on defeating the Ice Wolves, causing him to momentarily forget everything else.

    After Raven sessfully defeated the tenth ice wolf, he noticed that all of their bodies had vanished into thin air. This made him believe that the trial hade to an end, and to add to that, the sword he had received also disappeared.

    Regrettably, he quickly came to the realization that his assumption was incorrect. As soon as the sword that gave him the upper hand against the wolves vanished, a new group of Ice Wolves emerged!

    This time, nearly fifty Ice Wolves had gathered, each appearing to possess a slightly greater strength than before. Furthermore, there was something distinct about them, as they all sported a horn atop their heads.

    Raven took a moment to observe them, and as he did, a screen appeared, listing their descriptions.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Ice Wolf Kings

    Level: 6

    Description: Evolved form of the Ice Wolves, having denser bloodline and stronger defense

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven''s expression soured as she observed the Ice Wolf Kings.

    Despite ying ten Ice Wolves, he only reached Level 4 and now faced a seemingly impossible task of defeating fifty Level 6 Ice Wolf Kings.

    Simultaneously, a new quest screen surfaced in front of him.

    {Bloodline Trial, Hidden Trial conditions have been met}

    {Hidden First Trial: Kill all the Ice Wolf Kings to get additional achievement}

    {Once achieved, a special reward will be unlocked for the yer}

    Raven didn''t say a word as he finally grasped the situation. He had realized that the initial trial was simply to survive. However, by also eliminating all of the Wolves, he had met the additional requirements to unlock the hidden stage of the first trial.

    He also had a feeling that he wasn''t the only yer to have unlocked this.

    He recalled the Guide''s instructions at the beginning of the Bloodline Trial. The yer''s rank was determined by their stage clearance time, as well as other undisclosed criteria referred to as the Hidden Trials.

    Regrettably,cking a weapon, he was unsure if he stood a chance against the Ice Wolf Kings due to their formidable defense. It was quite evident that he couldn''t kill them with just his bare hands. He wasn''t even sure if he couldst for even five minutes before them.

    A new countdown timer manifested in the sky, disying a mere five-minute interval until themencement of the trial.

    Raven was sitting on the ground, taking a breather despite his injured chest. He watched the Ice Wolf Kings as they circled him slowly, seeming eager to attack and tear him to pieces.

    He struggled to draw in a breath amidst the biting cold,pounded by the injuries he sustained.

    Despite the pain, Raven remained calm and focused, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen.

    He knew that he needed to stay sharp and agile if he wanted to survive this ordeal. As he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, he felt a strange sense of peace wash over him, slightly calming down.

    Despite the pain in his body, he remained optimistic. He was determined to seed in the trial and defeat all the Wolf Kings to advance to the next stage of the Bloodline Trial.

    However, just as he was trying toe to terms with himself, he heard footsteps near him.

    The soft footsteps echoed with purpose and intention, indicating they were made by a person and not the Ice Wolf Kings. Despite their gentle sound, they conveyed a sense of deliberate movement.

    Raven''s eyelids fluttered open and he saw a person standing next to him.

    The person was only three feet tall, and looked like a dwarf, who carried a small golden coin in his hand, looking back at him with great interest.

    "I was quite surprised to learn that another person had advanced to the hidden stage, especially considering the power typically required to do so. I thought it would be someone like a Draconian. Who would''ve thought it was just a mere human," remarked the Dwarf whose grey robe billowed gracefully in the wind.

    "Who are you?" Raven asked, before taking a nce at the timer high in the sky, which showed only four minutes left.

    The dwarf chuckled heartily, ying with the golden coin in his hand with great affection, as if it were his most valued possession. "I''m someone you probably need the most currently."

    Continuing on, he said, "Typically, you would''ve encountered me in the next phase of the Bloodline Trials, just like the others. However, due to your progress in unlocking this hidden stage, I came here personally."

    With a p of his hands, the Dwarf conjured up a screen that disyed an array of peculiar items. The costs of each item were indicated in Hellfire Coins.

    "I''m Dwerg, a second grade Hellfire Merchant. Whatever you desire, I can provide, granted you have enough coins," the Dwarf dered with a sly smile, showing his rugged dentition.

    While boasting his selling skills, he didn''t disclose the fact that he was only authorized to sell low quality items as a second grade Merchant. He assumed it wouldn''t make much of a difference in any case.

    A new yer only had a hundred thousand coins at best. Even if he sold any high tier items, Raven wouldn''t have been able to buy... Or at least that''s what he thought.

    As the timer wound down to just three minutes, Raven pushed aside any doubts about the man''s words. There was no time to waste - in just three short minutes he would have to face the fearsome Ice Wolf King head-on! In any case, he had already seen many strange things in this world to doubt such things.

    The first thing he needed was a weapon! As for money... That was thest thing hecked!

    He continued scrolling down, without any concern for the increasingly higher priced items.

    The mystery merchant observed with great interest as Raven avidly scrolled down to the bottom. Feeling somewhat disillusioned, he couldn''t resist shaking his head in disbelief.

    "The most expensive items there are a hundred thousand coins each. You''ll have to use all your coins just to buy just one item," he suggested.

    "Why don''t you be like other smart yers who unlocked this stage previously and buy more mid tier items instead of one high tier... At least you''ll be able to buy Armor and a weapon with the coins you have..."

    His eyes locked onto the majestic figures of the Ice Wolf Kings. "Dealing with them isn''t as simple as you may imagine, especially for someone who''s new."

    Even though he spoke for Raven''s wellbeing but watching the young humanpletely ignore him, he was taken aback.

    He couldn''t help but feel slightly disappointed by the young individual''s decision to prioritize buying a single expensive item instead of multiple, multiple affordable items which could have allowed them to save money for the future.

    He found his decision to be a little superficial and short-sighted, but chose to keep his opinions to himself. He had already spoken more than he had to.

    ''Since you ignore my advice, then so be it. Exhaust all your coins here. If you can survive this trial and leave this ce, you''ll soon regret your decision when you find out the real value of these coins...''

    In the end, Raven stopped at thest page of the merchant''s screen.

    Numerous high-end items adorned the section, but Raven couldn''t help feeling a bit let down.

    When the Merchant told him that he could buy anything, he expected an opportunity to at least buy Rare, Epic or even Legendary items. However, there were only high grade items, at best having a hundred thousand coins at cost.

    Nevertheless, strangely, there was a final item whose cost far exceeded that of the others. It was a mysterious ck sword with no name explicitly disclosed at the end. Remarkably, this sword was priced at close to twenty million, surpassing even the hundred-thousand-price limit.

    The sword was beautifully crafted with intricate designs and rare materials. However, something felt strange about it. Under the sword, it was mentioned that the sword could only be bought in the Bloodline Trials and not outside. But that didn''t make sense.

    How could someone buy something so expensive in this ce when they all started with a hundred thousand coins?

    "Are you eyeing up that sword?" inquired the Dwarf, observing the Raven''s unwavering attention toward the final item. "You''re not alone. Even those who have reached thest phase of the Bloodline Trial are coveting that very sword."

    "In fact, there are even many old yers who remain in the Bloodline Trial from the moment they first step in here, all for that Sword," the Dwarf exined. "Only when their one year Trial Time Limit is about to pass are they forced to clear thest Trial and leave this ce!"

    "Other yers call them Sharks, who might devour you and all your coins. They steal the coins from new yers, using any and all means, gathering more and more coins to buy this Sword. Unfortunately, none have managed to seed so far."

    The Merchant showed a strong curiosity toward the sword, even expressing a desire to touch it once. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so because he was bound by the universalws of hellfire.

    "What''s so special about the sword?" asked Raven, with only two minutes remaining in the timer.

    The Dwarf looked solemn, looking grimly at Raven.

    Raven patiently awaited Dwerg''s response, only to be met with a nonchnt shrug. "I have no clue."

    Observing the dwarf''s actions, Raven was ovee with a strong urge to beat him up. All of the tension and anticipation had led to a dead-end, leaving Raven feelingpletely in the dark.

    Moreover, there was no description on the screen about the Sword or its name either.

    Just as Raven was about to speak something, the Dwarf opened his lips.

    "Though there is a rumor that this sword contains a hint that leads to a Mythical Bloodline. But I can''t guarantee the credibility of the rumor," he said cautiously.

    "In any case, you don''t have to think about it. Not like you''ll ever be able to afford it. So hurry and select your items. Only forty seconds left before your trial starts!"

 Chapter 8: Blessed with money!

    <h4>Chapter 8: Blessed with money!</h4>

    Raven nced at the sixty seconds remaining on the timer. Even though he didn''t know anything about the Sword, it felt special since it could only be bought in this ce. Moreover, with its cost, it was definitely the best item that was avable for him to buy.

    Without a second thought, he pressed on the Nameless Sword.

    [Error. Conditions not satisfied. You can''t buy the Item]

    A new screen appeared before him, showing him the conditions avable.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    To purchase the selected item, certain minimum criteria must be met.

    ? Twenty Million Coins in reserve (Satisfied)

    ? Sessfullypleting the three hidden stages in the Bloodline Trial (Pending)

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven was caught off guard when he saw the minimum requirements. He had just started his journey and was only on the first hidden stage. He wasn''t even sure if he could sessfullyplete this stage, let alone discovering other hidden stages to acquire the sword.

    [00:51]

    [00:50]

    In the end, he could only select other items with only fifty seconds remaining in the timer.

    He opted to choose the second best weapon among the avable choices of weapons, the Burning Sword of Hephaestus, that had captured his interest.

    {Exclusive Skill 001 Limitless has been activated}

    As Raven contemted abandoning his pursuit of the elusive Nameless Sword, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. It was the very same voice that had spoken to him when he had broken through the recharge limit!

    {Minimum Criteria Limit on the selected item has been removed}

    At that moment, the Minimum Criteria screen vanished and was reced by another screen indicating a sessful purchase.

    At first, the Mysterious Merchant felt disappointed as he observed Raven''s futile attempts. Despite Raven''s efforts to purchase the sword, he was unable to do so.

    Although he was not informed of the reason for the purchase failure, he assumed that the young man did not have enough money, which was a reasonable exnation.

    With only thirty-five seconds left on the timer, he was about to rmend that the young man choose a different item. However, before he could even utter the words of advice, his expression suddenly became vacant.

    The transaction was a sess! The coveted Sword that all Bloodline Trial participants yearned for had been sold!

    His face was filled with confusion. Raven had just entered Hellfire. He didn''t even reach the stage where he could meet the other yers in the Bloodline Trial! So how did he have twenty million coins?

    To his surprise, Raven continued to make purchases even as time was running out. He went on to buy additional items in a matter of seconds.

    [00:25]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Phoenix Armor]

    [00:21]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased Boots of Wind''s Blessing]

    [00:19]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Cloak of Protection]

    [00:15]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Ring of Luck]

    [00:11]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Ring of Critical Damage]

    [00:09]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Ring of Recovery]

    [00:08]

    [Congrattions. You have purchased the Pendant of Magician Giana]

    ....

    It was as if Raven was at a race against time, buying as many items as he needed! What was even more surprising was that all the items he bought were the most expensive items in the store.

    As the Dwarf observed, his astonishment only grew. It dawned on him that the Manager of the First Floor might have given some extra money to Raven in secret. How else can a neer have such a significant amount of coins?

    He couldn''t help but wonder if Raven was some illegitimate child of a god or something.

    Excitement could clearly be seen on Dwerg''s face! In thest two minutes, he had managed to sell items worth more than he sold in thest one monthbined! He was only a Level Two Merchant in Hellfire.

    There were a total of nine levels of Godly Merchants in Hellfire. While level one was the weakest, level nine was the strongest grade a merchant could get! There were only two Level Nine Merchants in this world, having ess to Mythical Items of the Merchant Association Storage!

    Dwerg''s aspiration was to attain that level which he deemed as his personal and fervent dream.

    As Raven''s figure came into view, something shifted inside him. He couldn''t pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was as though a glimmer of hope had been ignited within his heart. There was a sense of unwavering certainty that Raven was the one who could guide him towards bing a level nine godly merchant.

    As the countdown timer reached its final five seconds, Raven hastilypleted his shopping, ensuring that he had everything he needed.

    Raven now sported an exquisite silver armor on his chest with a stunning Phoenix Symbol at its center. This Armor was a high-grade item, and the finest among all that one could obtain in the realm of Bloodline Trials. One couldn''t help but be mesmerized by its beauty. Nevertheless, Raven had much more to showcase.

    Every finger on his hand was adorned with a high-tier ring, providing him with an array of benefits. Some boosted his stamina, while others elerated his healing time or enhanced his speed and strength.

    In addition, there were a few umon rings that enhanced certain stats that were typically difficult to boost, including the elusive Ring of Luck that granted a slight increase in luck.

    In addition to the ten rings, Raven also wore a blue pendant that enhanced his mana and magical abilities. Despite not having any knowledge of magic, he made the purchase.

    He also purchased a luxurious robe with a flowing fabric that seemed to have a mind of its own. Although he didn''t have much opportunity to examine it closely, he noticed the quality and elegance of the garment, along with its high defensive stats.

    On his feet, he wore the Shoes of Wind''s Blessing, which granted him the ability to walk in the air for a few seconds.

    At least that''s what it was supposed to be like since the Shoes had a cooldown time of an hour after each use, but even Raven was stunned to find out that he didn''t have to worry about Cooldowns!

    The ability of Limitless was truly extraordinary and surpassed all expectations. Even the usual restrictions of cooldown periods were eliminated, which allowed him to effortlessly walk in the air for an unlimited period of time while donning the shoes.

    Unfortunately, the height he could walk on was limited to only a few meters.

    He had only one concern - the fact that [Limitless] was passive in nature, which meant he could not activate it at will. He didn''t even know what made it activate at times, since the cooldown of most of the items wasn''t removed. He also didn''t know what its limitations were.

    He wanted to find more about his Exclusive Skill.

    [00:00]

    While Raven was thinking about his exclusive Skill, the countdown timer reached its end!

 Chapter 9: Protection Money

    <h4>Chapter 9: Protection Money</h4>

    Raven held the Nameless Sword in his hand, a seemingly unremarkable weapon despite its staggering value of twenty million coins.

    In fact, even the sword he used previously felt better than this. The former Sword felt effortless to wield, like it was tailor-made for his physique. In contrast, the Nameless Sword carried too much weight.

    Even though some of his strength was boosted thanks to being covered in precious High Tier Items, the sword still felt too heavy.

    Additionally, the swordcked any remarkable features. Its de was ordinary andcked sharpness. To make matters worse, the sword exhibited signs of rust, as if it were made of simple iron and had been neglected for centuries, collecting rust over time.

    This item didn''t seem to be worth its supposed value of twenty million. In fact, it felt even inferiorpared to the low-tier swords he had observed at the store.

    Despite purchasing the sword, its description remained elusive to him. Nevertheless, he chose to put that thought aside as the timer had reached zero and he had other pressing matters to attend to.

    Despite its poor quality, the sword was the only weapon he possessed. He couldn''t even buy anything else since the merchant had disappeared as soon as the hidden trial began.

    As he had no other option, he grasped the heavy sword firmly with both his hands, aware that attempting to lift it with just one hand would be futile.

    With tremendous effort, he heaved his sword and swung it towards the Ice Wolf King in an attempt to attack. Despite the sword''s bluntness, he hoped it would make somewhat of an impact due to its weight. His expectations weren''t high, but he was determined to deal some damage nheless.

    "Huh?"

    As soon as he swung his Sword, even he grew surprised. That blunt Sword that looked like it couldn''t even cut through a sheet of paper sliced through the heavy Armor of the Ice Wolf King as if it was the sharpest weapon in the world!

    It didn''t stop there. Along with the sword of his sword, a dark energy gathered at the blunt edge of the Sword.

    A brilliant beam of light emanated from the sword, effortlessly cleaving through each Ice Wolf King in its trajectory.

    The st left a deep crevice in the ground, as the Ice Wolf King''s army was decimated in an instant.

    At first, Raven was in disbelief as he stood and watched the dust settle. Despite his doubts, his previously perceived weak Sword possessed an unknown power, which allowed him to take out all of the Snow Wolf Kings in a single stroke.

    He could only look at the rusted sword, intrigued. This Sword was worth two hundred high grade items! However it was certainly not as ordinary as he initially thought.

    He still didn''t know what that mysterious power was. However, it felt as if that strange power in the sword could''ve easily devoured him.

    Despite using just one attack, he was left gasping for breath and fell to his knees due to sheer exhaustion. Had all the Ice Wolf Kings not perished in the battle, he was uncertain about how he would have managed to continue. Thankfully, the hidden test hade to an end.

    [Congrattions. You''ve finished the First Hidden Trial within one second. Extra Achievement Points have been granted]

    [You''ve received the key to ess to the Second Hidden Trial. Please enter the second stage of Bloodline Trials to ess the Second Hidden Trial."

    Multiple notifications appeared before him, while a chilling aura spread in the surroundings.

    Out of nowhere, a mysterious key materialized before him. It was like no other key he''d ever seen before, appearing to be made entirely of ice with a semi-transparent quality. Despite its delicate appearance, the key was surprisingly sturdy and unbreakable.

    Raven extended his hand, grasping the cold key that could open the way to the second Hidden Trial.

    He wasn''t aware of how many trials his brother and the rest hadpleted to obtain the Legendary Bloodline, however, he was determined toplete them all. Fortunately, he had an advantage that the others did not possess!

    While others had the power of their exclusive skills which granted them special abilities, he had the power that none had... The power of money!

    He kept the key in his inventory, along with the heavy Nameless Sword. Exhausted as he was, it became quite a challenge for him to maneuver with the burden of his heavy sword.

    Luckily, his energy was gradually replenishing at a slightly quicker rate due to his Rings.

    After taking a brief ten-minute break, he got up and headed towards a glistening door in the distance that became visible after he passed the hidden test.

    He didn''t know what the second trial was. However, after taking care of the first trial, he felt very confident. If possible, he wanted to meet the merchant again to buy another weapon since he couldn''t always use his Nameless Sword.

    Using that sword was dangerous since it meant inevitable death if he failed to finish the enemies in one attack. Moreover, that sword was already famous. Even though it looked useless, many yers wanted it.

    He had yet to encounter any other yers undergoing the Bloodline Trial as they were in different stages. Nheless, he knew it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths. The thought of them recognizing his sword only added to the potential challenges he could face.

    As Raven approached the door, it creaked open slowly, as if by magic. A blinding white light emanated from the other side, making it impossible for him to discern anything beyond the threshold. It was as if an invisible force was obstructing his view, hinting at the mystery thaty ahead.

    He steadied his mind and braced himself for whatever maye in the Second Trial. With heightened awareness, he crossed the threshold of the door.

    ....

    Raven emerged from beyond the door, ready to enter into battle. He had carefully equipped himself with all the necessary items to enhance his abilities. However, upon arriving, he could only furrow his brow.

    He did not encounter any ferocious beasts, instead found himself in a spacious hall that couldfortably amodate tens of thousands of individuals with ample room to spare. This was a stark contrast from his previous experience in deste surroundings.

    The hall was exquisitely embellished with a delicate fusion of gold and silver ents, and the walls were d with detailed carvings and paintings that depicted stories from long-forgotten myths and legends.

    He couldn''t resist the overwhelming feeling of amazement as he immersed himself in the grandeur of the surroundings.

    He marveled at the beauty of this ce, realizing that it surpassed anything he had ever seen on Earth. He couldn''t even begin to estimate the cost of acquiring a property of this caliber back home.

    His attention was further captivated by the fact that the ce was bustling with activity. The area was abuzz with thousands of individuals, with some seated and others congregating in groups, engaging in lively discussions.

    The individuals in question possessed distinct equipment that appeared to have been purchased from the Merchant. What piqued his curiosity was that all of them were yers, and none of them seemed to be of human origin.

    A sense of uniqueness surrounded the individuals present in the grand hall. Certain individuals possessed dragon-like wings giving them a distinct draconian appearance, while numerous Elves could be spotted in groups of their own.

    It was as if this ce was where hundreds of species from all around the universe had gathered and he was the only human here.

    He eventuallyprehended why the Guide and the Merchant were so fascinated by his human identity.

    As Raven surveyed his surroundings, a haughty voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "Well, well, what do we have here? A new face?"

    A hand patted his shoulder roughly. "Listen up, kid. If you don''t want any trouble, just fork over half of your coins. In return, we''ll keep you safe."

 Chapter 10: The Five Overlords

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Five Overlords</h4>

    Raven became aware of an arrogant voice emanating from behind him, with an underlying tone of menace.

    "You''re asking for protection money?" He turned around with a slight frown on his face.

    Standing behind him was a figure reminiscent of an Elf, with their long ears and towering height.

    Despite being a male, the elf''s appearance had a slightly feminine touch which contrasted with the intimidating image he was attempting to convey.

    Raven had received some information about this from the Merchant. In the Bloodline Trial, there were numerous species coexisting, but they tended to stick to their own kind. Each of these groups also had a designated leader.

    Those groups tried to gather newbies who had just entered the Bloodline Trial and didn''t have a chance to spend their coins yet. Subsequently, various approaches were employed to acquire the coins from the individual, including intimidation and physical aggression if alternative measures fell short.

    Furthermore, the leaders of the group received all the coins that were collected by its members.

    Each group shared amon objective - purchasing the Nameless Sword for their respective leader. Essentially, they acted as loyal followers of the most powerful participant from their race in the Bloodline Trial.

    Unfortunately, throughout the years, even with the support of these groups, no one had managed to collect even half the amount they needed to buy the Nameless Sword.

    Despite the challenges, these yers remained hopeful and determined. They firmly believed that acquiring the sword and unlocking its Mythical Bloodline would bring them great benefits within Hellfire.

    "You..." The elf with silver hair was taken aback as Raven turned. To his surprise, Raven was a human!

    He had only been here for a few months but this was his first time seeing a human! He had only heard about humans from the other yers in the Bloodline Trials who in turn heard from previous generations of yers in the trials.

    No one would''ve believed that humans really existed, if it wasn''t for the Achievement Board that was always visible in this Resting Hall.

    This hall was connected to all four trial spaces in the Bloodline Trial. After every trial''s sess or failure, the yer coulde here to rest, make strategies or ask for help from other yers.

    Out of the top 50 yers listed on the Bloodline Trial''s Achievement Board, seven yers were identified as humans.

    Looking at Raven, the young elf was stunned. There were said to be five overlord species in Hellfire. Even though it wasn''t official, no one refused that.

    Out of the five overlord species, the Draconians were considered to be the strongest due to their bloodline that linked them to the dragons. This bloodline endowed them with an exceptional affinity for natural mana.

    They possessed dragon-like wings on their backs, granting them the ability to soar through the skies with ease. Additionally, their physical strength surpassed all others, making them unparalleled in power.

    The second overlord species were the Archangels. No one knew the world they came from, but they were no less than the Draconians.

    It was rumored that they had some traces of the blood of gods. However, that blood was very diluted, unlike the pure blood of the dragons in the Draconians.

    The Third Overlord species in Hellfire were the Demions. Simrly to Archangels, Demions also had a powerful lineage. They had impure blood of the Demons. They were inherently violent and people tried to avoid them as much as possible.

    The fourth overlord species of Hellfire was known as Tritons. Not much was known about them since just like humans, no one had seen them in Bloodline Trials for a long time. However, ording to the rumors, Tritons were blessed by water. Their strength was much stronger in water or in any area that had plenty of water. However, they weren''t helpless in drynd either.

    Their physical strength wasn''t even close to Draconians, but their healing and stamina was the best. In fact, their healing abilities were so high that they were called Immortals of Hellfire, who could heal from any wound within seconds!

    As for the fifth overlord species, surprisingly enough, it was humans!

    In the Bloodline Trials, humans were the most mysterious for these people. Bymon sense, humans should''ve been the weakest. They didn''t have any extraordinary strength or healing.

    Even their physical defense was below average in this ce. They should''ve been people who could be killed with a single hit. However, there was something that humans had.

    The human race''s natural inclination towards mana and magic was unparalleled, sometimes even rivaling that of Draconians. In addition, they possess a unique ability to integrate with bloodline in Hellfire easily, as they did not carry any inherent bloodline traits of their own.

    Humans are akin to a nk canvas, a canvas that could be painted with any color without any difficulty.

    In contrast, the remaining dominant species exhibited rtive weakness in this regard. They were not able to fully harness the advantages of the Bloodlines bestowed upon them in Hellfire without expending a considerable amount of effort.

    The moment the elf realized that Raven was a human, a member of the five dominant species, he instinctively took a cautious step back.

    Elves were strong and had a high natural affinity but when it came to the species ranking, they were barely considered at the tenth ranking. What caught his eyes even more was that Raven was covered in High Tier high tier items as if he wasn''t a new yer at all!

    The elf''s gaze drifted off to the Achievement Ranking, stealing yet another quick nce.

    Raven caught sight of him ncing in a different direction and followed his gaze, only toe across an enigmatic leaderboard. It seemed to be disying a ranking of some sort, but the words were hovering in mid-air, etched in a font that resembled blood.

    He was aware that one''s Bloodline at the end was awarded ording to their Achievement score in the Bloodline Trial. He felt a deep curiosity about the ranking and was eager to find out the exact score he needed to achieve.

    He examined the names listed in the ranking.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    yer Achievement Ranking:

    Rank Name Species Score

    1) Arze Draconian 7816

    2) Izia Archangel 7798

    3) Zezel Demion 7465

    4) Tricia Triton 7249

    5) Wiess Human 7248

    6) Zelien Draconian 6997

    7) Preseon Archangel 6689

    8) Litven Draconian 6499

    9) Qerik Demion 6345

    10) Cilia Human 5990

    ....

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 11: The Prison of Gods and Demons

    <h4>Chapter 11: The Prison of Gods and Demons</h4>

    The Achievement Rankingprised fifty exceptional individuals, known as the top yers in the history of the Bloodline Trials.

    The majority of names featured in the top fifty ranking belonged to the Five Overlord Species, but there were also representatives from lesser-known species such as Triorcs, Elves, Beastman, and more who had managed to earn rankings on the list.

    Raven''s single-minded focus was fixed solely on one name in the ranking: his brother''s name, upying the fifth spot on the Achievement list.

    Since Raven had already faced the first trial, he knew how hard it was. If he didn''t have so many high tier items, he wasn''t sure if he could even survive. On the other hand, his little brother managed to take the fifth rank all by himself.

    As he nced at the name, he felt a momentary sense of confusion. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people began to take notice of him.

    As Raven stared at the Achievement Ranking, the other yers in the resting hall observed him curiously.

    Numerous yers were left stunned as he was equipped with high tier gear from head to toe, which seemed improbable for a novice yer. The source of his wealth remained a mystery, leaving yers baffled. Despite theck of information, the only certainty was his impressive gear.

    He possessed valuable equipment that could fetch a high price if sold to the merchant. If they were sessful in snatching and selling it, they would significantly increase their chances of purchasing the coveted Nameless Sword.

    They didn''t know how this young man had so much money that he could buy all this.

    However, they spected that he likely had even greater resources at his disposal. Regardless of the source of his wealth, the notion of acquiring it for themselves was a feat worthy of celebration.

    *****

    There existed a dark room, which was beyond everyone''s reach. This was the room from where everything within the Bloodline Trial could be seen. Only the Guide of the Bloodlines Trial, who was also the guardian of this ce, could enter this ce, along with the Mystery Merchant.

    Currently, the man with the unique lizard-like tail sat on a chair, fixated on the screen showing Raven. All other screens, including those disying the top yers in the Bloodline Trial, went unnoticed by him.

    "A man whose stats even I can''t see. Also someone who managed to bring more money than the limit allowed. Over twenty million coins spent, huh. I wonder exactly how many he has. It''s most probably rted to his exclusive Skill."

    The man appeared to be speaking to himself, attempting toprehend the situation. Regrettably, despite his efforts, none of it seemed to add up or make sense.

    "An Exclusive Skill that could break the rules of Hellfire without any bacsh... It can only be a Ranked Skill. However, how is it possible for someone to awaken a Ranked Skill thiste?"

    "The strongest Ranked Skills were given to the First Awakeners from each species, ording to their awakening. Theter one awakened, the weaker the skill they received."

    "However, for him to have a Ranked Skill, this only makes sense if he was in the first batch of Human Awakeners to receive an invitation... Like the current seven human overlords in Hellfire..."

    "However, that doesn''t make sense. If he Awakened so soon, why did he enter just now? And what rank could his skill be?"

    It wasn''t the guardian''s first time seeing a person whose status couldn''t be seen. In fact, when yers starteding for the first time, there were nine such yers from each species... They were the first nine awakeners of their species.

    As for how much of their stats he could read, that depended on their skill rank.

    "Wait a minute... Now that I think about it, there were nine yers from each species who received a ranked skill. However, amongst the humans that came, including Weiss, there were only eight yers that had cryptic stats... That means..."

    He slowly stood up, gazing at the young man on the screen. "His stats being messy wasn''t a bug! Instead, it was because... He''s one of the Nine Overlords who is startingte!"

    His eyes shone brightly as he thought up to this point! It finally started making sense to him. Raven wasing five yearste.

    Upon recollection, he realized that there was something else noteworthy. During Weiss'' arrival at the Bloodline Trial, he had expressed his desire to save his brother who had fallen into aa as a result of Hellfire.

    Weiss''s motivations in Hellfire were solely driven by his desire to achieve sess and work towards finding a solution to awaken his brother from his deep slumber.

    "A brother that fell into aa with Hellfire''s appearance?" The man frowned. "At that time, I thought it was just a coincidence that his brother fell into aa. But could that brother be... That would exin this guy''s reaction upon hearing the news about his death!"

    "To think that both brothers were ranked yers!" He could only scratch the back of his head in amazement. "If the two hade to Hellfire at the same time, then they could''ve probably ruled this ce! However, now..."

    "It looks like my advice won''t work on him. His brother died after all. If he doesn''t die like his brother, then the world of Hellfire is probably going to get messy again."

    "I wonder who will be able to win this guy''s support to be free of this Prison? A God? A Demon? Or the Mythical Being? Things will certainly get spicy it seems."

    He sat on the chair with an amused smile on his face. "I suppose it''s time for me to leave the Bloodline Trials as well. I want to see what kind of journey he shall create."

    He simply closed his eyes, thinking about the future. Finally, he felt that the Prison known as Hellfire which trapped Gods, Demons and Myths wasn''t as boring.

 Chapter 12: Path of Dream and Reality

    <h4>Chapter 12: Path of Dream and Reality</h4>

    Raven found the sudden influx of attention unsettling, particrly because he sensed the presence of numerous powerful yers in the hall. The sheer influence of these people, both in terms of their strength and sheer numbers, was overwhelming.

    Nearly everyone in the room was in a group, except for him. He stood there solo, without anyone to support him.

    Fortunately, the people here were more surprised by his species, for a moment even forgetting to react. It was as if he was a precious animal and they were in a zoo.

    Suddenly, a Draconian soared into the sky, his wings stretching out as he flew directly towards Raven. He had no interest in negotiating with a human and was solely focused on seizing the items that would bring them closer to the Nameless Sword.

    Regrettably, the situation took a turn for the worse as one of the Archangels also came forward. The different factions stood at odds with one another, as they were unwilling to allow someone from another group to attain the treasures.

    Fortunately, as all groups stepped forward, instead of attacking him, a fight between them ensued as they tried to hold others back. For now, Archangels stopped the Draconians, not wanting their worst enemies to get those treasures first.

    As for Raven, they didn''t pay much attention. They could simply snatch those items anytime after they dealt with the others.

    In a matter of moments, chaos erupted in the resting hall as several skirmishes broke out.

    Even Raven was frowning. These people were like wild beasts, fighting for thest piece of meat. Luckily, they were all preupied with trying to thwart one another, leaving him unnoticed.

    "What''s the way to the second trial?" Raven took advantage of the distraction and the chaos, asking the Elf next to him a question. He didn''t have time to wait here. He had to finish the Trials. The more time he wasted, the lower his score was going to be.

    "T-that way..." The tall elf eximed, pointing in the distance at a beautiful bronze door. Even though he was closest to Raven, he didn''t dare snatch those items. He still remembered all those stories and rumors he had heard about humans.

    Due to the absence of human presence for an extended period, numerous unsettling rumors had circted about them. Some of these rumors even imed that humans had a penchant for consuming the hearts of other yers and could effortlessly tear them apart with their bare hands, elevating them to the status of rare legendary beings.

    Raven was unfazed by the Elf''s reaction. Despite the ongoing battles, he strode towards the Bronze Door thaty closest to him.

    As Raven approached the bronze door, it suddenly opened, catching the other yers off guard. It was at that moment that they realized he was attempting to escape. However, it was toote for them to intervene as Raven had already entered the second trial and the door had closed.

    Since they had already cleared the second and third trials, they were unable to pursue Raven. In their frustration, the battles in the hall only intensified.

    ****

    Entering the second trial, Raven was finally away from all the chaos.

    He instead found himself in what appeared to be a cave. The walls were made of rough and jagged rocks that reflected a dim light. Water was dripping soundlessly from the ceiling, and there was a faint smell of dampness in the air.

    Unlike the noisy resting hall, this ce appeared to be more peaceful and soothing.

    As he stood in the cave, he found himself confronted with two different paths to choose from. Each of the paths had a marker post beside it indicating its name.

    While the first path appeared to be called the Path of Dreams, the second path was called the Path of Reality.

    Unfortunately, there was no further exnation about the two paths. He wasn''t even sure if he was supposed to choose one of them, or go into both of them one after another.

    While he was lost in thoughts, he heard some footsteps behind him. "Need help?"

    As Raven spun around, he recognized the Guide of the Bloodline Trial, someone he had encountered the first time he came to the Bloodline Trial.

    "What''s the second trial?" Raven directly asked. Time was of the essence for him.

    Cloaked in an eerie mist, the man approached the fork in the cave, his face obscured from view. He stood at the center of the two paths.

    "It''s simple. Just select one of the paths and clear the trial you face. The Second Trial is simple, yet it''s also the mostplex. This is also where your brother lost most of his points. Or he could''ve been in the top three."

    "How do you..." Raven asked, frowning. He couldn''t understand how this guy knew about his rtionship with his brother.

    The Guide remained silent in response to the question, but Raven''s reaction provided confirmation that his earlier assumption was indeed urate.

    Instead of answering, he changed the topic and went into the exnation.

    "The first path is called the Path of Dreams. It is a ce where you will be forcefully sent to a dream once you enter. In the dream, you won''t be able to remember anything about the Trial, or about the outside world. It is like the dream will be your reality. All you need to do is wake up from that dream, and you pass the trial."

    Raven came to grasp why this trial was deemed as the most intricate. Losing sight of the fact that he was in a trial or the knowledge of the outside world could lead to a perplexing merging of the dream and reality. Waking up from such a state could prove almost impossible.

    "What about the second path?" If the first was hard, there was still the second. He still had another option.

    "The second path is called the Path of Reality. Once you enter, you''ll experience two scenarios of the past that are real and deeply connected to you. You''ll remember that this is a trial. You''ll also remember all your memories from outside. To pass the trial, the method is simple... Do nothing!"

    "Do nothing?" Raven turned to the Guide, confused. To pass this trial, he had to do nothing? Wasn''t it too easy then? Something seemed amiss. How could a trial be so simple?

    "Yep. No matter what you see, don''t react. Maintain a calm heartbeat, and just do nothing. As long as you can resist the urge to intervene in those two scenes of the past, you''ll pass the trial. The calmer you are during the trial, the higher your achievement points. That''s all."

    "However, as I said before, the first path is harder for others. But from what I feel, the second might be the harder one for you, since I have a few guesses about what you might see. In any case, I''ll leave the decision to you."

    "Best of luck, young man. I look forward to seeing your performance. Don''t fail..." After speaking, the man once again disappeared.

 Chapter 13: Truly Broken

    <h4>Chapter 13: Truly Broken</h4>

    The Path of Dreams and the Path of Reality... There were only two paths before Raven. And both these paths had a difficult trial waiting behind them.

    It was a hard choice to make, especially since he didn''t know what he was going to see in the second trial. It was clear that the Trial was going to show him something that was enough to disturb him to his core.

    Even though he didn''t know what that was, he had a feeling that keeping his heartbeat calm in that situation was very hard. However, at least he had some level of control on the second trial.

    In the first trial, he had no control. It depended on what he did in the dream without any outside knowledge to wake up.

    Without hesitating for long, he made a decisive choice and propelled himself forward. With his fists clenched tightly, he approached the second trial, resolute in his decision to embrace reality over mere dreams.

    No matter how ufortable the reality was, he had to face it. He couldn''t live in dreams.

    In the secluded chamber, the Guardian of the Bloodline Trials observed as Raven entered the second pathway.

    "In the end, you made your choice. I wonder if you''ll still be the same person when youe out of the Trial..."

    ....

    Raven ventured down the second path, but as he made his way further in, he suddenly felt as though he had been whisked away to apletely different space.

    Abruptly, he found himself settled on a plush chair. Casting his nce towards the left, he beheld an awe-inspiring view of the sky through the window. He realized that he was aboard the first-ss section of an airne, en route to some destination.

    "How do you think they will react to the news?"

    As Raven''s mind was filled with uncertainty, he suddenly caught a sound of someone nearby. His heart raced as he realized it was a voice he recognized so well - it was his mother''s voice! His usualposure deserted him and he was left feeling overwhelmed with emotions.

    His mother was on the same flight! That meant this flight was...

    The more he thought about it, the more he felt his heart being crushed. This was the flight which took the life of his parents! Moreover, this was supposed to be the reality! The only difference was that he wasn''t in this flight in reality.

    Fortunately, he still remembered the rules of the trial. He couldn''t interfere no matter what happened, and he had to stay calm.

    He shut his eyes and tightened his grip on his fist. He took deep breaths to steady himself and regte his heart rate.

    "I don''t know. Those two guys are quite unpredictable. But one thing I''m sure about... Both of them will be happy when they hear the news that they''re about to get a little sister soon."

    In different seats that were close to Raven, a middle aged man was sitting next to a beautiful woman who appeared to be in herte thirties, lightly patting her stomach that looked a little chubby.

    "I never imagined that I could still conceive at this age, but here we are expecting our first daughter..." The woman beamed with joy, as if she could already envision their little girl in her embrace.

    She had always dreamed of having a daughter and unexpectedly, her dream was about toe true. Despite not nning for it, she was overjoyed at the prospect of weing a little girl into her life.

    Despite the considerable age difference between her two sons and the uing arrival of their sister, she remained optimistic that her little girl would be showered with love and attention, being treated like a princess by her elder brothers.

    "What do you say if we allow Raven to name her when shees into this world. I think it''ll be interesting to drag that brat." The middle aged manughed, ncing out the window.

    Sitting near them, Raven was somehow able to hear everything! It was as if this was thanks to this trial that their words were crystal clear.

    As soon as he heard their words, he realized everything! His eyes revealed a pained expression as her heartbeat became unsteady. He was about to get a sister? His mother was pregnant when she died?!

    His hands were tightly balled into fists, the pressure causing trickles of blood to seep from his palms. He remained undeterred, consumed by the weight of his thoughts. The loss of his parents, brother, and even his unborn sister left him feeling utterly lost.

    A single tear rolled down his cheek. He felt helpless and wished he could have done something to save them. It was hard for him to stayposed despite knowing that it was the past that couldn''t be changed.

    Along the way, he heard more of the conversation of his parents. One such conversation was about the gift that they had selected for his uing birthday. It took the two of them an entire day to select a nice gift that they thought he would love.

    They even left all their important business meetings for the day, and went to buy a gift for him, as if that was more important. Moreover, they didn''t think twice about returning as soon as they got his call in the past.

    Tears streamed down his face, an unusual urrence since the funeral of his parents. It seemed like he had built a wall around his heart, but now it crumbled before him and he couldn''t hold back the tears any longer.

    He knew he was losing points in the trial currently, because of how unstable his mind and his heart was. However, he couldn''t do anything about it. He felt lost... Completely lost and broken.

    As the ne approached its imminent crash, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Panic swept through the cabin leaving everyone in a state of fear. Everyone remained in their seats, channeling their hopes and prayers for a safending. His parents held tightly onto each other''s hands.

    Even in theirst moments, their only thoughts were about their kids and nothing else.

    Raven remained seated, his hands bleeding from being clenched so tightly. He couldn''t bring himself to unbuckle his seatbelt and look at his parents, who sat directly behind him.

    It was as if he knew that he couldn''t bear to see their faces... Or he was going to be truly broken.

 Chapter 14: Weiss; the Ninth King

    <h4>Chapter 14: Weiss; the Ninth King</h4>

    Raven snapped back to reality, as soon as the ne crashed. Even though he wasn''t really there, his heart already felt as if it was torn into a thousand pieces.

    He knelt in the midst of the second trail, his face drained of color and his heart pounding with palpable intensity. His gaze seemed distant as he was repeatedly assaulted with vivid images of what he just saw.

    Despite not being physically aboard the aircraft, he could still feel the anguish. His palms were raw and bloodied as he anxiously reyed his parents'' words over and over in his mind, tears streaming down his face and dampening the earth below.

    "Arghhh!" He lifted his head and let out a fierce roar, the sound echoing through the air. It was hard to tell whether he was expressing extreme anger or overwhelming grief, but his demeanor resembled that of an injured beast.

    There was only one thought in his head. If only... If only that ne hadn''t crashed! If only his parents had returned safely! If only his sister and parents had survived...

    ****

    In the secluded chamber, the Guardian kept a watchful eye on the scenes unfolding before him. Though he couldn''t see exactly what Raven was witnessing, he had an inkling that it wasn''t a pleasant experience.

    As he observed Raven let out a roar in the cave, relentlessly pummeling his fists into the ground until they bled. It was clear that he was in an immense amount of pain.

    "I told you. Even though this trial might be easier for most others, it might be the worst choice for you. So, young man... Will you break here? Or will you be someone who breaks others?"

    The Guardian remained seated, deep in contemtion, his gaze firmly fixed on the screen without any interruption.

    Raven came to a halt after nearly ten minutes of relentless movement. Although his hands were smeared with blood, he paid no attention to it. The agony he felt in his body was, for the time being, the only thing that helped him remainposed and diverted his attention.

    He nkly looked at his hands that were covered in blood.

    With aching hands, he summoned the strength to push his body up from the ground. No words escaped his lips, and his thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind.

    The trial was far from over, and despite the heart-wrenching experience, he resolved to persevere and not give up.

    As he lifted himself up, he took a step forward only to be engulfed by an unexpected sensation. It was as if his existence was being pulled into an alternate space once again!

    In the next moment, he found himself standing in the middle of a street in a ce that resembled a city from the medieval era.

    Surrounded by stone buildings, the City exuded a timeless beauty, despite itsck of modernity. Yet, an eerie silence shrouded the ce, as he noticed something strange: not a single soul was in sight.

    Moreover, a lot of the buildings appeared to be broken, as if it was some abandoned City.

    He wasted no time in venturing out into the city, determined to gain a clearer understanding of his circumstances.

    As he strolled down the street, he soon heard a peculiar metallic noise. It seemed to be the sound of a hefty sword''s de scraping against the pavement.

    Raven turned his head towards the source of the noise, but his expression quickly shifted as he saw its origin.

    He could see a young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties. The man had donned a beautiful ck long coat. That long coat appeared to be made from some precious materials as it emitted a strange dark radiance.

    However, strangely enough, that beautiful ck attire was covered in blood and torn at ces.

    The young man was struggling to move, his body appearing weak and frail. His forehead was bleeding and much of his face was stained with blood.

    Deep wounds caused by de fragments were visible in the young man''s chest, as if the sword that caused them had shattered and left only the de fragments lodged inside his body.

    Despite his weakened state, the man persistently dragged a weighty sword behind him, leaving a trail of bloody footprints with each step. His gait seemed unsteady, and his left leg appeared to be severely injured.

    Despite his unsteady steps, the young man appeared determined, albeit slightly pale. He continued walking, asionally reaching out to nearby walls for support to stabilize himself and prevent a fall.

    "I can''t... fall yet...." The man''s feeble voice was audible as his unsteady feet shuffled along. Luckily, he managed to grasp onto the nearby wall with his right hand to steady himself.

    He further continued walking as the grilling sound of his Sword against the streets responded. As he took off his bloody hand off the wall, a bloody hand imprint was left behind on the wall.

    Even blood kept trickling out of the man''s lips.

    Raven stood frozen in the distance, watching in disbelief as his younger brother struggled to walk. It was as though he had been turned into a statue, unable to move or react to the distressing sight before him.

    He opened his lips but before he could even say anything, he noticed that the surroundings had suddenly turned brighter.

    Weiss and Raven both gazed up at the sky in unison.

    As he gazed upwards, he caught sight of a magnificent winged being soaring through the clouds! This wasn''t the first instance that he had spotted such a being. It was evident to him that it was an Archangel.

    There stood a woman with stunning, ivory wings that resembled those of an angel. A sense of sanctity emanated from her very presence.

    "How far have you fallen!" The Archangel stated, without even a single trace of pity in her eyes. If anything, only mockery, anger and hate could be seen in her eyes.

    "Let me put you out of your misery!" The woman raised her right hand gracefully.

    A multitude of formidable spears materialized overhead, resembling bolts of lightning. Their sheer power was such that each one had the ability to obliterate an entire city on its own.

    The level of strength exhibited by the woman was on apletely different scalepared to the yers in the Bloodline Trial - she appeared to possess god-like strength.

    With a single gesture of her, all the Lightning Spears came crashing down, all targeting Weiss.

    "I still... haven''t saved him!" Weiss tightened his fist around his pitch ck heavy sword. " I can''t... die yet!"

    Even though his body was so weak that it could fall apart at any moment, he still used everything he had, swinging his heavy sword as if he intended to slice the heaven itself!

    A jet ck beam of energy emerged from his sword, appearing to have the capacity to engulf an entire world within it.

    The awe-inspiring collision of dark energy and Lightning Spears resulted in a potent release of energy. The Lightning Spears proved to be stronger, disintegrating Weiss'' dark energy. Nevertheless, the Lightning Spears themselves were also obliterated in the process.

    Unfortunately, the impact of the two attacks was so powerful that it created a powerful wind st. With his weak body, Weiss couldn''t even stay firm on the ground. His weak body flew back, falling in the distance. Fortunately, he still didn''t drop his sword.

    Using his broadsword as a support, he struggled to stand up, his clothing stained with fresh blood. He coughed, disgorging even more blood as he exerted himself.

    "I''m surprised you could still struggle, even after consuming so much poison... As expected of the Ninth King..."

    As Weiss struggled to stand, he heard a voice in the distance. But this voice didn''t belong to an Archangel; it was a human''s voice. A young woman was approaching, wielding a Wizard''s staff. Her mocking tone only added to show that she was enjoying it as well.

    A trace of bloodlust appeared in Weiss'' eyes as he looked at the woman.

 Chapter 15: Mysterious Bloodlust

    <h4>Chapter 15: Mysterious Bloodlust</h4>

    Weiss was aware of his weakness, but he made no attempts to conceal his murderous intentions. His demeanor suggested he was willing to eliminate every person in sight if given the opportunity.

    Unfortunately, not only was he heavily injured, but also poisoned to the extent that it was hard for him to even gather any strength. Even his blood had started turning ck because of the poison.

    It was shocking that even under such a condition, he had managed to keep fighting, and came so far. However, this was also the hardest situation for him to be in. As more time went on, the poison spread even more inside his body, weakening him even more.

    He knew that he was running out of time, but he refused to give up. He was determined to see this through to the end, no matter what the cost.

    He firmly grasped the hilt of his sword, though it felt weighty as if he was carrying a mountain due to his exhaustion.

    However, as he was about to fight his way, the woman raised her Staff high. A strange magical aura surrounded the Wizard''s Staff, as if ying with herws of this ce.

    In an instant, Weiss felt a significant increase in gravitational force, causing him to nearly copse onto his knees.

    He heaved out another stream of blood tainted with poison. Despite bleeding from his legs and visible veins, he refused to copse.

    With immense pressure weighing him down, he lifted his sword and swung it with all his might, pouring his conviction and strength into the violent strike.

    A dark energy arc emitted from his sword, appearing even more powerful than before. However, Wiess had used up all his strength and lost his bnce, copsing to the ground on his knees.

    His eyes appeared dull and unfocused, and his hands became almost immovable, as if his body had stopped responding to hismands.

    He watched his final attack with solemnity. Despite the odds against him, he couldn''t bear to go down without a fight. In the end, he found sce in the thought that he may have taken someone down with him before his inevitable death.

    The dark, menacing surge of energy mercilessly swept away all obstacles that dared to cross its path, heading straight towards the Wizard, as if seeking to subject her to an agony even more excruciating than death itself. Yet, with swift determination, the Wizard readied herself to erect a protective shield just as the attack approached.

    Despite the attack being powerful, it was fortunately weakened by the presence of poison, which prevented it from being as severe as it potentially could have been. She had confidence in her ability to protect herself.

    With unwaveringposure, she summoned a robust magical barrier that shielded her from harm. There was no hint of fear or distress in her demeanor.

    A striking blue barrier materialized in front of the young girl, perfectlyplementing the natural hue of her deep blue eyes. Its remarkable strength seemed to rival the power of lightning bolts.

    Watching the scene, Raven felt angry. However, at the same time, he felt taken aback at the strength that his brother and these two women possessed. This was the strength of the people who killed his brother? But why? Why would they want to kill him? Why was a human working with them to kill one of their own? Just what led to this scene? Was this really the ce where his brother died?

    There were many questions in his head. Watching his brother covered in blood was hard but he couldn''t change this reality. He could only imprint this scene deep within his heart. These two people... He didn''t know who they were. However, he had memorized their faces!

    Weiss'' attack shed with the barrier of the young woman. However, contrary to the woman''s expectations, the attack proved to be far more powerful than she expected.

    Instantly and almost effortlessly, her barrier shattered into countless fragments, much like a sheet of delicate ss.

    The young woman was taken aback. Her expressions instantly turned. She hadn''t expected this attack to be this strong. That''s why she hadn''t prepared anything else. She couldn''t dodge it now. She couldn''t even teleport as that spell took time toe into effect.

    As the ominous energy approached her, she lifted her staff and shut her eyes, channeling all her magical power into creating a fresh barrier. Despite her efforts, she couldn''t shake the feeling that it was futile. Confronting the possibility of imminent death, she was filled with fear and uncertainty.

    In contrast, the Archangel remained motionless and indifferent, showing no signs of willingness to assist the human mage.

    Despite the poison increasingly impairing his vision, Weiss refused to give up and remained on his bleeding knees. His heart was filled with turmoil and an unwavering determination to keep fighting.

    For five unrelenting years, he had fought tirelessly, determined to achieve a single objective - to ascend to the pinnacle of Hellfire and obtain the vital information required to wake his brother. But now, he knelt on the ground, immobilized and powerless, staring death squarely in the face.

    He did not derive any satisfaction from taking the life of his enemies before his demise. Rather, he simply lifted his gaze upwards, observing the sky.

    "I failed..." Only two words escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. He felt that this was the end of his long journey.

    However, right then, he felt another aura which made him open his eyes.

    As the Mage was on the verge of being hit, a sudden figure descended before her. A man-like being with wings resembling those of a dragon stood before her. He appeared right between the woman and the attack. He raised his right hand.

    Without resorting to any magic, he relied solely on his own physical strength to stop the attack that even the strongest barrier failed to block. His seemingly unyielding power seemed to surpass that of everyone present here.

    He stopped the attack with bare hands. His dragon-like wings made the man look even more charming. Even though his body wasn''t bulky, he didn''t look weak either. Instead, he had a noble aura around him. It was a Draconian!

    "Lord Arze!" The young-looking mage eximed, watching a tall figure standing before her.

    Standing in the distance, even Raven was taken aback as he heard that name! He had seen that name before as well! It was at the top of Bloodline Ranking... The Draconian Named Arze!

    "I suppose the others will be here as well?" Weiss didn''t reveal any fear. Instead, he simply gazed in the distance, ncing at Arze.

    Suddenly, Arze sprang into motion with such great speed that it seemed as though he had instantly teleported to his new location.

    He suddenly appeared beside Wiss and forcefully mmed his right hand behind Wiss'' head, causing it to collide with the ground.

    "You!" Raven''s fists tightened even more. Even though he knew that the current him wouldn''t have been their match even if he was there in reality, he still felt the urge to rush in and kill all those bastards!

    His entire body was engulfed in bloodlust that even he didn''t realize. It was a bloodlust that wasn''t seen often, since it seemed toe from deep within. It was as if he wanted to ughter everyone who even so much as touched his brother!

    After mming Weiss'' head on the ground, the Draconian removed his hand, standing straight while he looked down on Weiss.

    Weiss was weaker than he had ever been. Most of his bones already felt as if they were broken, and he was also under the effect of heavy gravity.

    Despite having blood covering his entire face, he tried to lift himself up by cing both his hands on the ground. However, the Draconian saw his chance and raised his foot, bringing it down heavily on Weiss'' head, causing him to get mmed to the ground once again.

    "Go ahead. Stand up." Arzemented, his voice feeling ice cold. However, he didn''t even give Weiss an opportunity to stand up as he mercilessly kept stomping on him, as if he was enjoying the situation.

    In the end, despite knowing that it wasn''t the present timeline, Raven couldn''t control himself. It was as if he was overtaken by his bloodlust. He called out the Nameless Sword, rushing ahead, not caring about anything else!

    "Take your filthy foot off my brother!" He roared like a blood crazed demon!

 Chapter 16: Berserker

    <h4>Chapter 16: Berserker</h4>

    [Three weeks ago]

    Weiss experienced repeated blunt force as he was attacked by the Draconian.

    Although this was the vision that Raven witnessed in the Bloodline Trial, it was the present reality for Weiss.

    Most of his bones were broken and even his breathing appeared unstable, as if his body couldn''t get any oxygen. He was suffocating, struggling to even breathe. His mouth was filled with blood.

    The sword slipped from his grasp, as if his fingers had gone numb. His hands shook, yet he was unable to sense any sensation within them.

    Weiss'' vision started getting darker as he was unable to breathe. At the moment, he really regretted his decision... His decision to trust others in this ce... He only med himself for being so naive... It was only now that he realized how wrong he had been.

    If he could start again, he would''ve done everything differently. He never would''ve trusted the people that he did! He never would''ve...

    Blood dripped down his forehead, obscuring his vision with crimson. His eyes were saturated with the red liquid, rendering him unable to see beyond the veil of blood.

    As his heartbeat slowed down to a dangerous extent, his eyelids began to shut.

    As he neared the end of his life, he suddenly heard his brother''s voice. Despite realizing that he was likely experiencing a hallucination, he weakly lifted his head towards the sound.

    Thud~

    "Urgh."

    Weiss let out a painful groan as he lifted his head, feeling sharp ws pierce through his body. The Draconian had grabbed hold of his heart, causing excruciating agony. With a swift movement, Arze ripped out Weiss''s heart using only his ws.

    ****

    [Present Time]

    Raven experienced a disorienting sensation. He felt like a flood of emotions overtook him, making his thoughts hazy. His focus was fixed solely on his brother, whoy wounded on the ground, bleeding.

    He struggled to restrain his impulses, feeling like he had transformed into a wild and uncontroble force, moving swiftly like a fleeting shadow. He also felt stronger for some reason.

    He was uncertain if it was his misperception, but he had a distinct feeling that Weiss lifted his head and gazed in his direction. It seemed as though he could perceive him through his eyes, which were now covered with blood.

    Raven only saw Weiss'' lips moving, but no words came out. However, from the movement of lips, it was clear that he was apologizing.

    Raven raced towards them with great speed, yet it was toote - Arze viciously pierced Weiss'' back with his sharp ws.

    "Argh!"

    Raven exerted great force as he swung the Nameless Sword, which in turn summoned a form of obscure, devilish energy that surged forth and aimed towards the Draconian.

    Raven''s intense desire to annihte everyone was embodied in the Dark Energy which had the ability to distort the space around it, forming numerous spatial cracks.

    The ruthless Draconian extracted Weiss'' heart from his chest, causing Raven to witness the horrid sight. As Weiss faced towards him, Raven observed tears of blood streaming down his face, with his entire being stained with the crimson fluid.

    As life slipped away, his head bowed towards the earth and his eyes dimmed, losing their luster.

    The human mage sported a broad grin on her face, almost as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders upon seeing Weiss''s demise. Her expressioncked any semnce of sympathy, and in fact, gave off a vibe that suggested she had a desire to plunge a weapon into Weiss as well.

    The Archangel, on the other hand, didn''t reveal much emotion. It was as if it was only a matter of time before the guy died.

    The dark energy reached the Draconian, as if willing to rip him apart from his core until not even a single drop of his blood was left.

    It was disappointing to see that the dark energy had no effect on him. The Draconian appeared to be like an illusion or a hologram, as the dark energy simply passed through his figure without any impact.

    {Warning: You have intervened in the Second Trial}

    {Hidden Achievement aplished}

    {You''ve finished the second trial with Perfection}

    {You''ve received extra Achievement Points}

    {You''ve used a new skill}

    {New skill has been registered}

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? Skill Name: Berserker

    ? Skill Grade: Epic

    ? Description: Once used, all your Stats will increase by fifty percent.

    ? Consumption: Five Percent Stamina is consumed for every second the skill is active

    ? Reminder: Once activated, the skill can''t be stopped until all your Stamina runs out.

    ? Reminder: While in use, Bloodlust of the yer will also increase.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven was surrounded by multiple screens, but he paid them no attention. His focus was solely on his motionless brother, as the world around him shattered.

    Raven didn''t have the chance to approach his brother, as the scene abruptly disintegrated and he found himself back in the second cave.

    The second trial was finished.

    However, it was also when all his stamina was exhausted thanks to the skill that he only used for twenty seconds without even realizing.

    As his stamina was exhaustedpletely, leaving only a tiny fraction, his body started feeling heavy.

    He lost all control as his body staggered uncontrobly, ultimately copsing to the ground.

    He didn''t even know how he learned this skill on his own, but while he was using the skill, he indeed felt that his strength and his speed had increased. Moreover, at that time, he didn''t feel exhausted. It was only after the skill ended that he felt the brunt of it all at once.

    As hey on the ground, his gaze fixed on the cave roof, his eyes seemed to be wandering aimlessly. It was as if he was reliving the haunting memory of his brother''s final moments. But the grim reality of it was hard for him toprehend at times.

    Despite the Guardian announcing his brother''s death, he held onto a glimmer of hope that perhaps they were mistaken and his brother was still alive. Nevertheless, upon witnessing these events, even hisst shred of optimism was depleted.

    "Arze..." With his feeble body and intense expressions, he uttered a lone name. It was a far cry from his demeanor when he arrived in Hellfire initially. He felt much scarier... There was something about the strange aura about him.

    It was as if he had lost a part of his soul in the second trial, trading it for vengeanceˇ­

 Chapter 17: Sky Platform

    <h4>Chapter 17: Sky tform</h4>

    ....

    After an unknown amount of time, Raven pushed himself up. The blood on his hands had already dried, and most of his wounds had healed. Yet, he seemed changed in some way.

    As he left the second trial, his demeanor appeared somewhat different. However, any confusion that he may have felt initially had dissipated, and he now had a clear understanding of what he had to do.

    There was no fear or uncertainty in his eyes anymore.

    As soon as he passed through the second trial, he saw the Guardian waiting for him on the other side.

    "Don''t you have any questions for me? Like how you passed despite intervening in the Trial?"

    Raven raised his head, ncing at the Guardian. However, he didn''t respond.

    He pulled out a frozen key from his pocket that he had received as a reward. The key allowed him to open the Hidden Trial of the second stage.

    As soon as he pulled out the key, the key melted in his hand, disappearing. However, at the same time, stairs appeared before him.

    The top of the stairs was out of sight, giving an impression of an endless flight of steps.

    "Stairway of Blood..." The Guardianmented, gazing at the stairway.

    He further exined, "It contains the essence of every person who passes through the stairs before you. You need to kill their mirage, to climb higher. Your score depends on how high you can reach within four hours."

    "The timer will start when you take your first step. So if you want, now would be the right time to rest." He reminded Raven. "So far, no one has been able to truly clear this trial."

    Raven didn''t rest. He pulled out the Nameless Sword, stepping on the stairs right away. If anything, he was eager to meet some people on the stairs...

    As soon as he stepped on the Stairway of Blood, his figure disappeared.

    ****

    In his first challenge, Raven was pitted against a yer from the second generation. Fortunately, the battle proved to be rtively easy as the opponent was considered the weakest among those who had made it to the hidden trial.

    Raven''s ascent didn''t end there; he continued climbing higher. At every step, he encountered a mirage of high-rankers from past generations.

    Even though those people weren''t real, they felt as real as they could. They could also use that yer''s special skills, which made them quite strong, especially for Raven who didn''t have much experience. However, the more Raven fought, the more he improved.

    He wasted no time facing the yers and aimed to end the battles as swiftly as possible, all with the intention of meeting a particr person on the steps.

    As soon as each battle was over, he dashed above to the best of his abilities. Within the first two hours, he had already covered two thousand steps, and fought over twenty battles.

    As exhaustion began to set in, he persisted with unwavering determination and continued his ascent.

    After three hours had psed, he began to sense something was amiss. After ascending past the 2000th step, he hadn''t seen any other yers.

    There was no way the mirage of Arze and the others wasn''t supposed to be on these stairs. Raven was sure that they had finished the second Hidden Trial. However, he didn''t find them.

    Eventually, four long hours were almost over. He came to a halt on the 5000th step, his expression furrowed in thought. He climbed close to three thousand steps without any battles, which didn''t make sense at all.

    As he slowed down, watching the timere to an end, a new notification appeared.

    [You''ve reached the 5000th step. Extra Achievement Unlocked]

    [Special Realm of Second Hidden Trial has been opened]

    Seeing the new notification, Raven grew slightly curious. Special Realm of Hidden Trial? Did that mean the reason he didn''t see anyone after the 2000th step was because they had all achieved the 5000th step and their mirages were in the special Realm?

    While he wondered if his guess was correct or not, the surroundings changed. He appeared on the top of the stairs, facing a floating tform in the distance.

    On the floating tform, he saw quite a few people.

    There appeared to be over twenty people on the tform, all standing still as if they were statues. They were all mirages of the previous yers who managed to reach this stage.

    Amongst those twenty people, Raven recognized four! His brother''s mirage was also there, along with the mirages of the three people who were present when his brother was killed.

    He stepped on the tform. However, his eyes didn''t leave the mirage of his brother, who appeared to be five years younger.

    Weiss appeared just like Raven remembered him to be. He didn''t have any equipment, other than two gauntlets and a basic sword. However, despite all that, he had managed to reach this stage, which was surprising in itself, especially since he was the only human here.

    Amongst the twenty people here, over seven of them were Draconians alone.

    Raven couldn''t help but walk closer to the mirage of his brother. However, as soon as he reached the tform halfway, it was as if all Mirages came to life! All twenty of them attacked Raven together, as if their only goal was to kill him. Even Weiss was amongst them.

    Taken aback, Raven pulled out the Nameless Sword, blocking the first attack, before kicking the yer who was closest to him.

    He also jumped back, to create some distance from the others, as if worried about being surrounded from all sides.

    This was the true hidden trial.. Facing twenty of the strongest yers who managed to reach this stage, and winning! For any ordinary yer, it was impossible to win a battle like this.

    In fact, in the entire history of Bloodline Trials, no one had managed to win the challenge of the Sky tform, even when the number of yers used to be low, let alone now that there were twenty!

    It was an achievement that no one had, and it was said that no one could!

 Chapter 18: The Impossible Battle

    <h4>Chapter 18: The Impossible Battle</h4>

    The top twenty yers of the Bloodline Trials stood before Raven. Even though they were the versions of these yers when they had just finished the second trials, even then, their strength wasn''t to be ignored.

    Raven had learned that all of them possessed an Exclusive Skill, but his skill was more passive and growth-orientedpared to theirs.

    Their abilities were limited by thews of this world, unlike his which could break thews. However, their skills excelled in offense.

    Raven stood poised in one end of the floating arena, grasping the hilt of his Nameless Sword. His eyes darted from opponent to opponent, twenty skillful yers and their unique abilities unknown to him. A feeling of unease crept over him; he couldn''t be sure what he was up against.

    Some wielded magic, while others brandished exotic weapons.

    Raven didn''t notice, but even the Guardian of the Bloodline Trial was watching the arena with great interest, along with the Mystery Merchant.

    "I must say, the kid seems to have some skills. He''s definitely capable of taking down a few of them," praised the Merchant, impressed with Raven''s abilities.

    Even though Raven had the most expensive weapon, the merchant still didn''t think that it was possible for him to do anything more, especially since he hadn''t received a bloodline yet.

    "A few?" The Guardianmented, observing from a distance. "I have a feeling that we might be in for a great show. Who knows, we might even witness a miracle."

    "You have that much confidence in that kid?" The Merchant asked, smiling. "The Guardian who didn''t pay attention to anyone, is now focusing on a young human... Looks like you have great interest in the kid."

    He was even more sure that the coins that Raven possessed was because of that Guardian. However, he didn''t ask.

    "I heard you also applied to leave this ce?" The Merchant further asked.

    The Guardian nodded. "This will be myst batch. Someone else will take over soon."

    "Why would you make a decision like that so suddenly? Does it have something to do with that kid?" The Merchant took a careful nce at the Guardian. Even he couldn''t see the face of the Guardian.

    The Guardian of the Bloodline Trial didn''t respond for quite some time, only keeping his eyes on Raven on the tform. However, after some time, he finally said, "It''s time for me to return to Hellfire..."

    As the two special existences of the Bloodline Trial talked amongst themselves, the battle on the tform had already started.

    The first yer charged forward, her hands crackling with electricity. She cast a bolt of lightning towards Raven.

    Fortunately, Raven deftly dodged it and responded with a swift strike of his sword. Even though the lightning bolt was fast, it wasn''t as fast as the Ice Wolf King.

    The dark haired girl was stunned, as she saw a blood red arc of lighte straight at him. At thest moment, she stopped in her tracks, jumping to the side.

    Even as she did her best, she wasn''t able topletely avoid the attack as her arms flew in the sky,pletely detached from her body!

    Her pupils shrunk as she felt the pain like never before. Even though it was a mirage, these yers contained the personality of the actual yers. They didn''t have any memories, but they still knew their movements and their skills. At the same time, they also felt pain like the real person!

    As if not giving the girl a chance to recover, Raven continued his attack, appearing right before her, thrusting his Nameless Sword down, killing her.

    [Level +1]

    "Huh?" Raven was taken aback to see a new notification. When he fought the mirages on the stairs, he didn''t receive any experience or level ups. However, on the tform, he was receiving experience points and even leveling up?

    This revtion made him confused. However, he knew that it was good.

    There were many yers waiting in the Resting Hall to snatch all his treasures. He needed strength to even protect himself. The strength he currently had wasn''t enough to face yers who were already on thest Trial stages.

    While Raven was lost in thoughts; Another yer, a hulking brute of a man, charged forward, wielding a massive warhammer.

    Raven subconsciously felt that he couldn''t withstand a direct hit, so he used a movement skill, his sword shing in the air. Fortunately, his movement skill didn''t have any cooldown.

    The brute swung his hammer, but the Raven parried the blow with ease, appearing behind the man. His Nameless Sword came shing down, cutting the bulky man in two halves.

    Suddenly, the ground shook. Raven looked up to see a yer with the power of earthquake magic. It was clearly an Exclusive Skill.

    He stumbled as the ground beneath his feet split open, but he quickly regained his footing, jumping high in the sky.

    Hended before the Earth Mage, who was taken aback. For him, it was as if Raven had flown straight to him. Before he could react, he saw a bright red light sh before his eyes. Eventually, the world turned dark for him. His body disappeared.

    One by one, the yers attacked, each with their unique skill. If initially, they wereing one after another, then now yers starteding together.

    A yer with the ability to manipte fire sent a st towards Raven, only for him to use his sword to deflect the mes.

    Another yer with the power of wind blew him off his feet, but Raven sliced the winds in two halves, using the special aura of his Nameless Sword, before charging to the enemy.

    As the battle raged on, Raven started to get exhausted. His stamina was slowly running out, and there appeared to be no end to these people. If it wasn''t for the ring which somehow lessened his burden, he would''ve been having a much harder time.

    So far, he had only managed to kill six of them. And the stronger ones hadn''t even started moving, including the Archangel and Arze, along with his brother!

    He had managed to take down a few yers, but the rest were proving to be much harder.

    What was worse was the yer with the power of illusion magic who appeared behind him.

    Raven spun around, but he couldn''t tell which was the real yer. It was as if there were over ten illusions of the same yer, and only one was real! Moreover, all ten of them used a different attack to target him.

    Even with his great senses, it was impossible for him to recognize the right one.

    He swung his sword, but the yer disappeared, as if it was an illusion. At the same time, the real one appeared behind him. This time, the yernded a solid blow, making Raven stumble!

    The other yers saw their opportunity and charged forward, surrounding Raven.

    Raven tried to regain control, but it wasn''t easy, since there were too many of them. They each attacked with their unique skill, momentarily overwhelming him.

    What was worse was the Illusion Master from the Demion Species, who was ranked nine in the Bloodline Trial Achievement Board.

 Chapter 19: The Six

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Six</h4>

    Raven stood in the center of the floating arena, surrounded from all sides and the attacks kepting.

    Fortunately, because of fighting with the Ice Wolves who were known for their speed, his reflexes had improved to arge extent. He had also leveled up in the meantime, which made him even more adept at reaction to the sudden changes in the situation.

    Moreover, if it wasn''t for the treasures he possessed, like his robe, his defense would''ve been quite weaker.

    Raven skillfully dodged every blow and retaliated with his own attacks, his focus unwavering despite the chaos around him.

    He knew he first had to deal with the Illusion Master, who kept hurting him the most.

    Even though he had destroyed some of the Illusions, Illusion Master Qerik created even more. Once again, there were ten Qerik around him.

    Raven clenched his fist, wiping the blood off his lips.

    He has had enough of being pushed back. He was trying to save some of his strength to face Arze and the others, who were yet to move. However, he knew he couldn''t do that anymore.

    He applied more of his strength. The Nameless Sword once again started rising in a blood red shine. He swung his sword, shing every Qerik, whether be an illusion or the real one.

    A blood red arc created a circle with Raven at the center of it, cutting everything who was close to him in two halves.

    All ten Qerik were hit by the attack. Even some other yers were hit by the sudden attack, dying right there. However, to Raven''s surprise, none of the ten Qerik was real.

    "All ten of them were fake?!" Raven eximed. "But then the real one must be..."

    He hastily looked up, finding Qerik high in the sky. Demon like wings were behind his back. It was as if he had already prepared for an attack. However, even he seemed somewhat surprised that Raven had dealt with his puppet.

    Raven was taken aback, watching a blinding sphere of Demonic Energying straight to him. Even though he had used most of his strength, he used everyst bit he had, swinging his sword once more.

    At the same time, he tapped his foot on the ground, jumping high in the sky.

    He swung his sword as his body passed through the dark energy sphere. He could feel his skin burning due to the Demonic Energy, even as his sword sliced through the dark sphere.

    Burn marks were clearly visible on his skin, as he umted damage. However, he soon passed through the dark sphere, appearing as if he was flying.

    Raven''s face appeared somewhat pale, as he appeared right before Qerik, who was taken aback. Before he could even react, a Sword stabbed through his chest, making him stunned.

    His eyes were nk as he looked down. His chest was bleeding and his body started disappearing. However, the man didn''t reveal anger. Instead, he revealed a smirk. It was as if he was someone who more enjoyed the battle than the result.

    Raven pulled the sword out before Qerik disappeared,nding on the ground. Now that the biggest headache was out, he could rx a little.

    However, he knew that was only temporary since the top rankers still hadn''t joined. He was also getting exhausted since there was no break during the battles.

    "If it wasn''t for the Ring of Recovery, the battle might''ve been over already. I can''t use too much strength anymore. I need to recover first..." Raven nced at Arze and the others, who were still not getting involved.

    For the next half an hour, he didn''t make any big moves, as if he had realized that as long as he didn''t defeat the current batch of enemies, the rankers weren''t going toe forward.

    He took the time to recover his strength, while focusing on avoiding the attacks which weren''t very threatening to him.

    Fortunately, it didn''t take long for him to recover his energy.

    One of the yers charged forward, his fists glowing with energy. He was getting frustrated that Raven kept avoiding him.

    However, this time he didn''t quite do that.Raven sidestepped the attack and responded with a quick slice of his sword, sending the yer stumbling back. A deep wound was left in his chest, which made him disappear as well.

    Another yer, a small woman with a pair of daggers, darted towards him. Raven met her head-on, his sword shing against her des.

    As the battle raged on, Raven proved to be a skilled fighter, deflecting attacks with ease andnding his own strikes with deadly uracy, killing the girl without spending much energy.

    A yer with the power of ice magic sent a flurry of icicles towards him, but Raven used his sword to deflect them back towards the yer, freezing him solid.

    Another yer, a woman with the ability to control nt life, sent vines towards Raven, but he cut through them with his sword. He charged towards her, his sword at the ready, andnded a blow, sending her crashing to the ground.

    As more and more yers attacked, Raven''s skill was put to the test.

    However, in the end, he managed to kill almost everyone, leaving only six yers!

    Amongst the six, five of them were top five rankers, from all five Overlord species. Arze was Draconian. Izia was the Archangel who had a hand in Weiss'' death. Zezel was a Demion. Tricia was a Triton, while Weiss was a human.

    However, the sixth person here was the mage that Raven had seen in the vision with his brother. She was Rank Ten in Bloodline Trials, Celia.

    All six rankers gazed at Raven with curiosity, as well as interest. It was as if it was rare for a person to achieve what Raven did. More often than not, they didn''t even have to move and the new challengers were out.

    However, unlike them, Raven''s gaze was different. Amongst the six people that he had to face, three were people he hated the most while one was someone that he loved the most in this world.

 Chapter 20: Come together

    <h4>Chapter 20: Come together</h4>

    Now that only six of the Top Rankers were left, they didn''te together. Even though they were just copies of the original, they still maintained their own sense of self-respect.

    The first person to step forward was Celia. She didn''t have the Legendary Tier Magical Staff that she possessed when she killed Weiss. Instead, her current staff was only a mid tier treasure. However, even then, it was surprising.

    At the second stage, she had already acquired mid-tier equipment while her brother seemed to have only invested in a low-tier sword.

    Celia calmly stepped forward, firmly holding the Mana Staff.

    Raven''s grasp on his sword tightened, but he retained hisposure and refrained from giving in to his anger. He chose not to activate the Berserker Skill, reserving it for Arze instead.

    Amongst everyone who was present there, he was most worried about Arze. Not only was Arze the strongest here, but his innate strength was also superior. He was the leader of the Draconians in the tower after all!

    It was unsettling to see that he was already wearing multiple top-of-the-line items. In fact, he seemed to possess the most items among everyone else, including a pair of gauntlets pulsating with an unusual energy.

    Prior to taking action, Raven analyzed the avable information about the girl within his line of sight.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Celia

    yer ID: (Other yers are not allowed to see)

    Exclusive Skills: (Other yers are not allowed to see)

    Bloodline: None

    Species: Human

    Strengths: Ice Magic

    Weakness: Lack of stamina, low speed, and weak physique

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The majority of the information he received was within his expectations. The girl was a mage, not particrly skilled in hand-to-handbat. However, what caught him off guard was her proficiency in ice magic. It was strong enough to have an effect on the temperature of the surrounding area, making it noticeably colder.

    It was as if even the air had started to freeze.

    "You should surrender. You can never win!" Celia spoke calmly. However, even though she appeared younger than she was when she targeted his brother, Raven could still see that old yet familiar smirk on the corner of her lips, as if she was looking down on everyone else.

    As Raven stepped onto the frozen battlefield, the icy air made his breath visible. Facing him stood Celia, dressed in flowing blue robes that fluttered in the wind. Her glistening staff caught the sunlight. Raven paused to take a deep breath before the battle began.

    She raised her staff, and with a flick of her wrist, sent a st of freezing wind towards Raven.

    Raven exhibited remarkable agility as he swiftly responded to the situation, akin to executing a sword dance while traversing the icy battlefield.

    Employing his skills to the fullest, he intercepted every attack deftly, using subtle nods and maneuvers to create a shield of air. Undeterred by the perilous circumstances, he advanced towards Celia, brandishing his sword with precision and determination.

    Celia''s reaction was one of mild surprise, but not fear. She swiftly summoned a wall of ice, but Raven effortlessly shed through it with his sword, causing ice fragments to scatter in different directions.

    Celia had already realized that Raven''s sword was strong. However, the more she faced that Sword, the more concerned she felt. It was as if the Sword was dreadful.

    It was as if the Sword contained anti magic properties, that helped it counter all her attacks perfectly.

    She finally revealed some unnatural expressions as she raised her staff again, and this time, sent a barrage of icicles towards Raven from every direction.

    She made sure to attack him from all directions to give him no opportunity to block her attacks with that strange sword of his.

    Raven also seemed to understand what she was trying. However, she had underestimated his mobility. Raven used his footsteps, swiftly dodging the ice spears that he couldn''t block properly.

    Even though it looked like he was trying hard to survive, in reality, everyone else who was watching knew that he didn''t appear to be in any danger. Slowly, yet steadily, he was closing the distance between him and Celia.

    Even Celia had realized it. She had finally started panicking.

    Raven swung his sword toward her chest. She countered with a wave of his hand, sending a st of cold air towards the swordsman, that could freeze anything.

    In her attack, she had almostpletely exhausted herself, since this was a skill that she couldn''t often use.

    Raven shivered as the cold air pierced his armor, but he did not falter. He could feel a strange yetfortable warmthing from his Sword.

    He charged towards the mage once more, his sword gleaming in the sunlight.

    Celia raised her staff, and with a shout, conjured a giant ice golem as she slowly started stepping back, getting ufortable with how close he had gotten to her.

    The golem towered over the Raven, its icy fists poised to strike.

    Raven circled around the golem, not revealing any fear. Even though the golem was big, he also remembered that everything had a weakness!

    And he found it. With a swift strike, he sliced through the golem''s leg, causing it to stumble and fall. The bigger something was, the harder they fell.

    Unable to stand up, the Golem had basically be somewhat useless. Before it could recover, Raven had already dashed past him.

    With the golem out of the way, he charged towards Celia once more, his sword aimed at her heart. The mage raised her staff, but it was toote. His sword pierced through Celia''s chest, and she fell to the ground, lifeless.

    Even though Raven wanted to give her a painful death for her past actions, but he also remembered that she wasn''t the real Celia. Even though she shared the same personality, she was still a fake. Just like everyone else here, including his brother.

    Raven stood there for a moment, catching his breath, raising his sword toward the other five rankers. Even though he had won the battle, it wasn''t the end. Moreover, this victory came at a great cost.

    "Why don''t all five of youe together this time?" he asked, letting out a sigh.

    His brother was also amongst the enemies, but Raven knew that it wasn''t actually his brother. No matter how much his heart ached, he had to kill them. And he had to do that at once, before he waspletely out of his strength!

    He had to kill his brother with his own hands.

 Chapter 21: Give it your all, because I will!

    <h4>Chapter 21: Give it your all, because I will!</h4>

    "You are strong... But you can''t win. Your eyes are filled with anger and hate... If you don''t calm yourself, you won''t achieve sess in facing all of us together."

    A woman, who had beautiful blue hairmented. Her deep blue eyes appeared to be able to see through Raven''s soul directly. Moreover, her face also revealed a lot of sadness, as if she could feel some of his pain.

    She was Tricia, a Triton who was blessed with incredible healing, almost to the point of immortality. She was also called a Saintess amongst the people in the tower, who had blessings of gods. She was Rank Four in the Bloodline Trial.

    "Who says people who are filled with anger and hate can''t win?" The only person from the Demion species who was still left, Zezel,mented.

    Unlike Tricia, he quite appreciated Raven, since his nature reminded him of a demon. Demions were descendants of demons after all, who did what they pleased, giving in to their true emotions. This was also why they were so strong.

    Even though he was only Rank Three at the end of the Bloodline Trial, but his strength was said to beparable to Arze.

    His blood red eyes were observing Raven with great interest, while his ming red hair fluttered with the wind.

    "That might work for a person belonging to your special, since your Bloodline uses strengthened emotions." Triciamented, shaking her head lightly. "However, he''s a human. If he lost control, he won''t be a challenge at all."

    "It''s possible," Zezel replied thoughtfully. "But we won''t know for sure unless we see his full potential in battle. Isn''t that right?"

    He cracked his knuckles, as if he was excited for theing battle. However, he didn''t want to fight with the others. He wanted to fight alone, and enjoy the battle to the fullest.

    Arze still hadn''t spoken anything. He was only gazing at Raven curiously. He could feel that most of Raven''s bloodlust was targeted at him, from the start. For him, it didn''t make sense. Why did this kid hate him like that?

    "I don''t see any need to get involved. You all can enjoy it." The Archangel, called Izia, took a step backzily, as if not paying any attention to the human before her at all.

    It was the same with Arze, whose silence only meant that he didn''t think Raven was worthy of facing him.

    There was one more person who hadn''t spoken anything though. It was Wiess.

    The shadow of Wiess which was present here was nothing more than an illusion created by the Bloodline Trial. It didn''t have any memories of real Weiss, just like the others didn''t have the memories of their real counterparts.

    However, even though Weiss didn''t know who Raven was, there was a heavy feeling within his heart. There was a sense of sadness, but at the same time, there was also pain yet a strange sense of relief.

    Even Weiss didn''t understand what this feeling was.

    In the end, he couldn''t control his curiosity.

    "Do we know each other?" he asked with a strange glint in his eyes.

    Raven had already convinced himself that the person before him was no more than an illusion. But still, he was taken aback by that question.

    He gazed at the familiar face that he had seen almost every day in his life in the past... The same face that he missed the most, now that he had lost that person forever.

    They had grown up together, sharing secrets and creating precious memories. However, now that they were before each other, they were nothing more than two strangers for Weiss.

    Weiss noticed the hesitation in Raven''s expression and realized that his question had caught him off guard. He decided to exin himself. "I''m sorry, I just have this feeling like we''ve met before. It''s a feeling that''s hard to understand."

    Unlike the other yers, Weiss didn''t contain even an iota of arrogance. He didn''t even hesitate in apologizing, thinking that he might have said something wrong.

    Even though Weiss had be a powerful warrior in the World of Hellfire, but deep within, he was still the same old person, who tried to be as righteous as he could. He was too trusting of others, and always tried to look at the positive side of the people, until it was toote...

    Raven took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily.

    After a brief pause, he opened his eyes. All the emotions in his eyes had disappeared for the time being.

    "It''s the first time I''ve seen you." He spoke, without hesitation. Only he knew why he lied. "So don''t hesitate when attacking me with everything you have. Because I won''t..."

    Even though Weiss nodded, believing Raven''s words, that strange feeling was still within his heart. However, he didn''t think too much.

    He raised his Sword, entering battle stance. "I''ll give it my all, in that case."

    Even though his sword was a low grade Sword, unlike Raven''s special sword, but as soon as he raised the Sword, his aura strengthened.

    It was like it had something to do with his Exclusive Skill.

    Fortunately, the time they all talked, Raven had also recovered most of his stamina. He tightened his grip around his sword, raising it.

    "Let this be our final farewell..." Raven muttered, under his breath. "Even if you''re just a shadow of my brother, I won''t let you be the hostage of this Trial..."

    Zezel was intending to fight first. However, seeing Raven and Weiss so motivated, he rolled his eyes and stepped back as well.

    Weiss was the first to move, as he disappeared from his spot.

    His speed was so fast that even Raven couldn''t see him. That speed was many times faster than the speed of the Ice Wolf Kings. In fact, it was something akin to teleportation.

    Before Raven could even react, he felt a burn around his back as a sharp Sword shed on his back.

    Fortunately, most of the damage was taken by his robe, or he would''ve already been dead.

    Raven was filled with surprise. This level of strength... The other than he faced until now wasn''t even close to this level! No wonder his brother rose to the top five, making humans one of the five overlord Species single handedly!

    And now, he had to face this same brother, and win!

 Chapter 22: Remember

    <h4>Chapter 22: Remember</h4>

    "The kid got some nice treasures." In the distance, Zezelmented. "Not a bad defense. If not for that robe, the battle would''ve been over already. Did I overestimate him?"

    Raven came to a sudden halt, feeling a sharp pain. He was bewildered by the sudden speed that seemed to have materialized out of thin air. It was almost as if his brother had the ability to teleport.

    Despite Weiss convincing himself he didn''t know Raven, a strange feeling continued to weigh on his heart when he attacked. It was as if his instincts were telling him to resist.

    At that moment, he set aside his emotions and focused on his actions. Swiftly, he repeated his previous move and reappeared behind Raven with lightning speed. To many, it was impossible to track his movements.

    However, after suffering once with the same attack, Raven understood that to fight his brother, he couldn''t rely on his eyes.

    He had to rely on his instincts instead, the same instincts that helped him face the Ice Wolves when he didn''t have any items.

    He shut his eyes tightly the moment his brother vanished from sight. Without wasting any time, he swiftly turned his body around, positioning his sword behind him.

    To everyone''s surprise, Raven sessfully blocked the attack as a loud metallic sound echoed across the area.

    Weiss was surprised by his opponent''s skill. It was rare for someone to be able to block his attacks and anticipate his moves so quickly in a battle.

    Without hesitation, he quickly stepped backwards. However, Raven seized the opportunity andunched another attack.

    Weiss frantically tried to deflect the attack, but Raven''s Sword felt way too heavy for him to deflect, especially since his Sword was the lowest grade. He relied on his speed, and not on his strength at this moment after all.

    The situation became even more dire when the Nameless Sword made contact with Weiss'' de, causing it to shatter instantaneously, as if it was nothing more than delicate ss.

    The force of the impact was enough to send Weiss flying back, especially since he had already lost his bnce.

    No matter how strong Weiss was in the future, he wasn''t the same at this point in time. The mirage could only do what Weiss was able to do in the second stage. However, there wasn''t much. As soon as his sword broke, it was as if the battle was already over. However, Weiss still didn''t give up.

    He swiftly got up, bringing out two small daggers that he always kept with him for emergencies.

    This time, he didn''t attack from behind. Instead, he attacked straight from the front.

    His movement skill was frantic and chaotic, having no proper order in it. However, that was also what made this movement so scary, since no one could predict it. Moreover, a few afterimages were also created as Weiss lunged at Raven.

    Raven let out a deep breath. He felt bad using the power of money to defeat the shadow of his brother. However, he couldn''t do much else.

    A blood red arc shed as Raven once again relied on his instincts.

    He felt some resistance to his sword, as if his Sword had hit something... Something akin to flesh.

    Weiss'' painful groan echoed. Both his hands were sliced. His hands and the two dagger fell on the ground as Weissnded on his knees.

    If it was a real battle, where he and his brother had the same equipment, the oue would''ve been slightly different. However, that didn''t matter at the moment.

    Raven ced his Sword on the ground, sitting before his brother.

    Usually, a warrior had to be killed for the shadow to disappear. However, when they were madepletely incapable of fighting back, it was the same thing.

    Weiss'' shadow remained on the ground. He had lost the battle and his body had started disappearing. However, for some reason, he wasn''t upset. If anything, he felt happy.

    It was as if this was what he wanted. That was also why he didn''t use all his skills in this battle, since there was always that resistance deep within his heart.

    "Can you tell me who you are?" Weiss asked, revealing a beautiful smile even as his body started disappearing.

    Now that he was killed in this trial, his shadow was disappearing forever, being free from working like a ve in the Second Trial for an eternity.

    A single tear fell off Raven''s eyes. He reached out his hand, cing them on his little brother''s hair, roughing them up.

    Weiss didn''t know why, but he felt really calm at the moment. His eyes also got wet for some reason as a scene shed before his eyes.

    In that scene, Raven was there, messing with his hair. On the other hand, he was getting angry, telling his brother to stop messing with his hair. There were also his parents nearby, who wereughing.

    A tear droplet fell from his eyes. However, his smile only widened as he spoke one sentence, "You''re awake..."

    "You have memories?" Raven asked, taken aback.

    He only heard that these were shadows who shared simr personalities but were different from the real person, possessing no memories. These shadows were just like puppets created by trial. That''s why, he was stunned to hear his brother speak.

    Unfortunately, Weiss didn''t answer. His figure became even more Illusory, until Raven''s hand passed through him.

    "I''m so d... Brother..." Weiss''st words echoed in the surroundings as hepletely disappeared, as if he was never real.

    However, even as he disappeared, Raven remained on his knees. It was as if his heart had almost stopped. His mind was filled with chaos and all his thoughts were messed up. How was it possible? That doesn''t make sense! Why?!

    Another tear fell off his eyes as he felt like the Bloodline Trial was messing with him!

    "If you''re done with that emotional mess, shall we begin?" Zezel chimed in, sarcasticallyughing. "I''m getting bored here. What a boring fight that was."

    He stepped forward, excited for the battle. It had been a really long time in the Second Trial.

    Unfortunately for him, Raven also didn''t want to stay here longer! He wanted to find the Guardian and ask him about it! For that, he had to end the trial soon.

    He stood up, picking his sword again. However, at the same time, something about him changed, that even made Arze frown!

    He had finally used Berserkerˇ­

 Chapter 23: All Out

    <h4>Chapter 23: All Out</h4>

    Arze, who hadn''t taken Raven seriously until now, was shocked. Even though his face didn''t reveal any expressions, his eyes clearly revealed some apprehensions.

    Raven''s aura had grown notably stronger, enhancing both his physical strength and speed beyond what he had anticipated. The intensity of his newfound power left him somewhat apprehensive.

    Zezel was taken aback by Raven''s astonishing disy of power. It was something he had never seen before. Raven vanished in a split second, and the ground underneath them shook violently. A crack appeared on the spot where Raven was standing moments ago.

    While Zezel was still stunned by the sudden change of Raven, he felt a cold hand around his neck.

    When he realized what happened, his head was smashed on the ground. Raven took advantage of his distraction. Moreover, the force that Raven used was enough to crush the skull of Zezel, making him bleed. However, that wasn''t enough, as Raven also stabbed a sword in his chest.

    It had only been two seconds since he used Berserker, and he had already killed one of the remaining five Rankers. However, he didn''t lose himself in that feeling.

    Even though the Berserker skill decreased his intelligence and slowed down his thoughts, he knew that he only had thirty seconds. If he didn''t end this fight by then, it was his loss.

    He pulled out his Nameless Sword, throwing it toward Tricia. At the same time, he rushed toward Archangel Izia.

    Unlike Zezel, Izia was already out of her initial surprise. She didn''t give Raven that same advantage. Her beautiful blue wings spread around her back as she shot in the air.

    However, Raven didn''t let her be, tapping the ground as he jumped above.

    A beautiful lightning Armor appeared around Izia. At the same time, multiple lightning bolts appeared around her, flying straight for Raven.

    In the background, Raven''s Sword stabbed Tricia before she could even move. Tricia had incredible healing, which made her not worry about such a level of attack initially, but even her expression turned dark as she realized that Raven''s Sword was something different!

    Her healing had entirely stopped working as soon as the sword stabbed her.

    Tricia grabbed the hilt of the sword to pull her out.

    "Argh!"

    As soon as she grabbed the hilt of the Nameless Sword, a painful scream escaped her pale lips.

    She felt a deep chill creep through her body, along with a terrifying pain. It was as if the Sword was resisting her grasp. At the same time, the Sword was sucking all her strength! She couldn''t even remove her hand from the sword.

    Her face turned pale, and her clothes were covered in blood. Her body started turning illusory before she disappeared. The Nameless Sword dropped to the ground.

    ....

    High in the sky, Raven faced multiple lightning bolts that rushed straight for him. He couldn''t even change his direction from this close range. However, he didn''t hesitate.

    He grabbed the corner of his robe, wrapping it all around him.

    All the lightning bolts hit him, making him groan in pain. However, in Berserker mode, his defense was stronger. His ability to feel pain was also lowered in this phase.

    Moreover, the robe was a high-tier item, which further lowered the damage. However, Raven couldn''t avoid all the damage.

    As he moved the beautiful robe aside, his pale face was revealed. His lips were bleeding, yet his speed was still the same.

    Even Izia was frozen momentarily, finding Raven right before her.

    Before she could react, Raven grabbed her throat. Since Izia had a lightning Armor around her, as soon as Raven held her, he felt a fierce electric current coursing through his body which made him scream in pain as well.

    Even with lowered pain perception, he still felt a terrifying pain. However, he didn''t take off his hand. If anything, he only tightened his grip until he heard a cracking sound.

    It was only when he crushed Izia''s throat that he stopped. On the other hand, her body also started turning illusory, disappearing.

    Fifteen seconds had already passed as Ravennded on the ground with his legs trembling slightly. He only had fifteen seconds left, and there was still one person left to fight... The person that Raven hated the most in this world!

    Arze was standing silently until now. However, he couldn''t help but ask, "Why do you show me such bloodlust? What did I do to you?"

    "You took everything from me..." Raven picked up the Nameless Sword from the ground. "And now, I''ll take everyone from you... From the real you... I''ll make your life a living hell..."

    Arze frowned. Something didn''t make sense. The person wasn''t a Draconian. So he couldn''t havee from their World. Moreover, he was still in the Bloodline Trial, which meant he still hadn''t entered Hellfirepletely. So how did he even interact with him to the point that he hated him so much?

    He was curious and wanted to know more. Unfortunately, Raven didn''t appear interested in answering.

    Raven rushed ahead! He had to take everyone from Arze, and that started with taking his shadow first and then his top ranking in the Bloodline Trial! And that was just the start!

    Arze let out a disappointed sigh before raising his High Tier Sword as well.

    "You''re the most interesting yer that I''ve seen until now in this Bloodline Trial. Unfortunately, you should''ve given up while you had a chance. Because the path you took only ends in death!"

    nk~

    The two swords shed with each other. Both men were pushed back a few steps from the impact.

    But they quickly recovered and resumed the deadly dance. Each sword strike was filled with the intent to kill, and each dodge was a matter of life and death.

    Every passing moment felt like an eternity as the resounding sh of swords echoed through the arena, causing it to tremble and quake under the force of the two yers'' blows.

 Chapter 24: the Unexpected Result

    <h4>Chapter 24: the Unexpected Result</h4>

    "Your sword skills are bad, but you''re still able to keep up with me. However, you seem to be in a hurry. Let me guess? The strength that you seem to borrow doesn''tst long, does it?"

    Amidst the sh of their swords, Arze managed to gain a lot of clues. He was clear that Raven was trying to kill him as soon as possible, and the more the oue of the battle was dyed, the more impatient he became.

    As he anticipated, Raven found himself racing against time. With a mere six seconds to go, he could sense his strength slipping away rapidly.

    Unfortunately, no matter what he tried, Raven couldn''t easily ovee the gap in skills between him and Arze.

    Arze was not only strong, but his footsteps were alsoplex. Not only that, but he also appeared to be trained in the way of the sword. On top of that, he was also covered in High Tier items.

    Fortunately Arze seemed to care a lot about honor... At least his younger self. Even though he knew that he could easily win the battle if he dragged the battle, his honor didn''t allow that.

    He didn''t retreat or create distance from Raven. If anything, his attacks only grew stronger with each passing second.

    ....

    "I''m surprised he even managed toe this far. This is worth being proud of," the Merchantmented, as if he already knew the oue of the battle.

    Raven had actually surpassed all his expectations by now. However, there were some things that couldn''t be achieved, no matter how hard one tried.

    He further continued, "As for defeating Arze... Impossible. That guy was a monster even when he was in the Bloodline Trial. No one was even close to reaching his level. He was like a deity standing above everyone else."

    "It looks like you remember him too well," the Guardian of the Bloodline Trial shook his head lightly. "Then again, he was your best customer at that time. Other than Raven, I don''t think anyone spent as much as he did in the Bloodline Trials..."

    "His personality used to be so nice when he was in the Bloodline Trial. Unfortunately, as soon as he received his Bloodline and started getting the attention of the gods, he changed so much... Then again, who doesn''t change? It''s the same for everyone." The Merchantughed.

    "I remember a person who didn''t change..." The Guardian said with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

    "Are you talking about him?" The Merchant let out a sigh, realizing who the Guardian was talking about. "That poor guy... He barely bought a low tier sword from me. I didn''t expect him to achieve anything in life, yet he proved me wrong. I still can''t believe what he managed to achieve."

    " The Ninth King... the stingiest person I ever met. Also the most incredible person I ever saw." He deeply sighed. "Unfortunately, now that he''s dead, people will soon be forgetting about him.''

    "I have a feeling that no one will be forgetting him anytime soon..." The Guardian said, gazing at the tform. The battle didn''t have any end at sight.

    The entire tform was being destroyed slowly, thanks to the battle, as if I wasn''t created to bear damage of this level.

    "Looks like we already have the result."

    "Hmm? It doesn''t look like anyone''s losing yet. Why do you say the result is out?" the Merchant asked, cautiously.

    However, to his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, a loud explosion was heard on the tform.

    Both the yers were pushed back right to the edge of the tform.

    As Raven coughed up blood from his mouth, Arze also had bleeding lips.

    As the duo prepared to strike with their weapons, the tform suddenly crumbled beneath them, as though it had sustained more damage than anticipated.

    The tform suddenly broke into pieces, causing Raven to reappear on the stairs. At the same time, Arze began to slowly fade away.

    "What a pity, we couldn''t finish our battle... This will always be my regret." Arze ced his sword on his back as his entire body turned blurry.

    Since the entire tform broke apart, there was no result for thest battle. It was a draw.

    Raven watched as Arze vanished into the distance, his hand clenched tightly around his sword. Despite putting forth all of his effort, he was unable to defeat Arze, leaving him in disbelief.

    If anything, he knew that he had avoided a clear defeat. If the battle went on for longer and the tform wasn''t destroyed, it would''ve been his loss.

    As soon as Arze disappeared, Raven appeared on the ground. However, at the same time, the time for his Berserker Skill also ran out.

    His stamina hit zero. His body lost all his strength as he fell on the ground, unable to move even a single finger.

    "I''m pathetic..." Raven spoke, looking back at the sky, lying on the ground on his back.

    Even with his Sword, and all his treasures, he couldn''t defeat Arze. It was as if the gap between them was just too big. Even though he didn''t want to ept that, he knew that he needed more strength.

    While Raven was cursing himself for losing to his brother''s killer in the same stage, a screen appeared above him.

    [Congrattions on achieving a Record in the Second Hidden Trial]

    [You''ve been granted Extra Achievement]

    [You''ve received a new title: Undefeated Warrior]

    [Level +1]

    [Level +1]

    [Level +1]

    [Level +1]

    [Level +1]

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Title: Undefeated Warrior

    Achievement Criteria: Remaining Undefeated in the Hidden Arena until the end

    Strength +10

    Speed +10

    Stamina Recovery: +20 Percent

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    [Would you like to equip the Title?]

    [Yes] [No]

    Raven couldn''t even move his fingers to tap. Fortunately, he could still speak his choice.

    "Yes."

    [You''ve Equipped the title ''Undefeated Warrior'']

    [The effects of the title have been activated. You can only keep one Title Equipped at a Time]

    As soon as Raven equipped the title, he finally felt some strength returning to his body. Even though it was still in pain, he was able to move a little.

    Another notification appeared before him, not long after.

    {Passive Skill Limitless has been Activated}

    {Limits of the Title has been removed}

    {You can equip multiple possessed titles at the same time}

 Chapter 25: Reaper of the Trial

    <h4>Chapter 25: Reaper of the Trial</h4>

    "Someone who passed the hidden stage without losing? It''s not often I get to see that."

    The Guardian of the Bloodline Trial reached out his hand to help Raven up.

    Raven was pleasantly surprised to find just the man he was looking for. By now, he had regained some of his strength.

    He also saw the Mysterious Merchant nearby, who still couldn''t believe that Raven hadn''t lost.

    "The Shadows that I faced on the tform? What were they?" Raven inquired, thinking back to his brother.

    Initially, he thought that it was just a shadow, without any fragment of the real person. That''s why, he was surprised when his brother remembered him.

    "Who knows?" The Guardian simply shrugged. "I''m just a Guardian of this ce. There are things that even I don''t know about."

    "All I can tell you is that Hellfire is filled with mysteries that even gods can''t see through... You''ll realize more when you leave this ce."

    The Guardian didn''t provide any answers at all. It was unclear if he really didn''t know anything, or if he just wasn''t allowed to talk about it. However, it was clear that he couldn''t be forced.

    Raven simply nced at the empty spot in the sky, where the tform used to be previously.

    ....

    For the next few weeks, the name of Raven was slowly spreading everywhere in the Bloodline Trial.

    It was said that there was a yer who was equipped with high tier items. The yer never entered the Rest Zone.

    If anything, he went from one trial to another trial, finishing them in a record time! In fact, Raven even managed to find the Hidden Trials that no one else knew about.

    There were two names given to him. No matter which Species it was, there was no one who didn''t know about it!

    One of the names given to him by the other yers was the Achievement Hunter, who wanted to monopolize Achievements in the Bloodline Trial!

    As for the other name... It was something even worse! This was also the name that was more popr in the entire Bloodline Trial. Raven was called the Reaper.

    In thest few weeks, many people had noticed that the mysterious sword worth twenty million was missing in the Merchant Shop was missing!

    This news spread like fire, since that sword was the one thing that almost everyone wanted! It was clear that someone had bought that sword!

    It didn''t take long for the other yers to realize who had bought that sword!

    Even though Raven didn''t return to the Rest Hall, there were many yers already in the Third and Fourth Trial Stage!

    Many traps were set to kill Raven to steal his treasures! Unfortunately for them, there was a limit of how many people could be at a Stage together.

    Throughout thest two weeks, many people tried to kill Raven, but not a single amongst them seeded! If anything, everyone who tried to kill him ended up dying!

    Thanks to the people who kepting to him like flies to die at his hands, Raven''s experience only increased, along with his Level.

    At the same time, he also received a new Title from the system. The Title of [Killer] was assigned to him.

    Usually, a yer could only equip one Title to them. However, that wasn''t a problem with Raven, who used both the Titles.

    Thanks to that, it didn''t take long before his strength had caught up to the people who spent close to a year in the Bloodline Trial! With time, the people who tried to kill him kept decreasing!

    If anything, Raven alone had killed close to half the yers in the Bloodline Trial. There were not many people who didn''t hate him to their core.

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t do much. They could only gang up on him, when he returned to the Rest Hall. But Raven never did that. It was as if the guy was on a mission, that he didn''t even think about resting!

    As Raven reached thest trial, almost all the Draconians and other overlord species members in the Bloodline Trials were starting to get concerned that he could take the top position in the Bloodline Ranking!

    They couldn''t do anything but regret the fact that they hadn''t killed Raven when they had a chance.

    ....

    Over two months had passed since Raven arrived in this strange world. His physique appeared to be even stronger.

    Even though he didn''t look bulky and was still quite slim, but his body was giving a feeling that it was brimming with strength.

    What was even more attention grabbing was that he was surrounded by a killing aura, since he had killed so many people in the Bloodline Trial!

    His killing aura alone was enough to scare many ordinary people from getting close to him. It was as if Raven had walked through the sea of blood!

    At that moment, his body was covered in Blood. There were sword marks all over his body. His breathing was heavy, but his expressions were calm. There was a look of relief in his eyes, as he looked at the Golden Door before him.

    "Here." Next to the door, the Mystery Merchant was standing. He tossed a small pill at Raven.

    Raven grabbed the healing pill, cing it in his mouth to let the effects take ce.

    "How much do I need to pay you, old man?" Raven asked, revealing a smile.

    At the start, he used to be very grim, as his mind only had a singr thought. However, after spending two months, he had time to think about many things.

    He knew that he couldn''t let his emotions take over. He had to use his brain as well, if he wanted to achieve something in Hellfire.

    The Mystery Merchant could only smile in response. "You little brat, think of it as a gift from me, onpleting the Bloodline Trials. Pass through the door and receive your Bloodline!"

    Not too far from them, even the Guardians were standing. His arms were folded around his chest. Even though no one could see his face, thanks to the most, there was a smile on his lips.

    Finally it was time for Raven to receive the Bloodline that was to decide his future!

 Chapter 26: ???

    <h4>Chapter 26: ???</h4>

    "Will I see you again?" Raven stopped before the golden door, ncing back at the Guardian and the Merchant.

    This was hisst day in the Bloodline Trial. Once he received his Bloodline, he was going to be sent to the real world of Hellfire, where there were no guides. Everyone had to find out everything themselves.

    "I have a feeling we will," The Guardian of Bloodline Trial smiled, as he pulled out a small token from his pocket.

    He stepped closer to Raven, and handed over the small coin shaped token to the young man.

    Raven held the small token in his hand, frowning. "What is this?"

    "Think of it as a good luck charm." The Guardian spoke, before lightly pushing Raven through the door.

    Holding the small token in his hand, Raven disappeared into the void.

    Remaining behind, the Merchant just gazed at the Guardian.

    "I never thought there would be a day when I''ll see you give your personal rmendation to someone. You didn''t even give your rmendation to Arze. Why now?"

    The Guardian of the Bloodline Trial simplyughed. "Who knows."

    Gradually, his form transformed into a mere illusion until he disappeared entirely.

    The Merchant was left behind, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

    ....

    Raven felt a rush of wind as he was transported to an unknown location.

    When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unknown ce. It was as if he was standing over the clouds, where everything around him was nothing but stark white.

    In the distance, a small crystal sphere was floating, shrouded in a mysterious aura.

    The reason was unknown to him, but the aura seemed to beckon him nearer. Its sensation was overwhelmingly soothing and delightful.

    Fortunately, he had already heard about it before, so he wasn''t scared.

    He stepped closer to the floating crystal sphere in the distance. The closer he came, the more soothing it became for him.

    Finally, he stood right beside the sphere and stretched out his hand to touch it. As soon as his fingers made contact, the sphere pulsed with a bright light and a voice rang out.

    [Analyzing Total Achievement]

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Even Raven didn''t know just what exactly his score was now. After the analysis that took close to ten minutes, a screen appeared in the distance.

    It was the Bloodline Trial Ranking! At the same time, the Bloodline Trial Ranking in the hall was also updated! A new name had appeared in the Ranking now!

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    yer Achievement Ranking:

    Rank Name Species Score

    1) Hellfire Human 10969

    2) Arze Draconian 7816

    3) Izia Archangel 7798

    4) Zezel Demion 7465

    5) Tricia Triton 7249

    6) Wiess Human 7248

    7) Zelien Draconian 6997

    8) Preseon Archangel 6689

    9) Litven Draconian 6499

    10) Qerik Demion 6345

    ....

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Seeing the new Ranking, Raven''s eyes revealed a surprise, and a look of relief! He had done it! He had received the top ranking from Arze!

    He finally took his first step on his long journey.

    However, before he could revel in this feeling, a new screen appeared before him.

    [Selecting a Bloodline for the Host ording to the Score]

    [Searching for a suitable Bloodline]

    [Three suitable Bloodlines have been found]

    [Your remarkable performance inpleting the Bloodline Trial in less than three months has earned you the privilege of choosing one of three avable Bloodlines.]

    [Please select wisely]

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? First Avable Bloodline:

    ? Name: Cursed Necromancer

    ? Bloodline Rank: Mythical

    ? Evolution Possibilities: Multiple

    ? Description: The Bloodline belonging to Demon King Alezion, which made him one of the supreme existences that was feared by everyone.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? Second Avable Bloodline:

    ? Name: Guardian of Nature

    ? Bloodline Rank: Mythical

    ? Evolution Possibilities: Multiple

    ? Description: The Bloodline belonging to the Fairy King Cronus. Not much is known about him.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? Third Avable Bloodline:

    ? Name: Immortal Knight

    ? Bloodline Rank: Mythical

    ? Evolution Possibilities: Multiple

    ? Description: The Bloodline to the Mythical Hero Aztech, who reached the realm of gods with his perseverance.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven looked at all three screens carefully pondering.

    Not much information was provided about all these bloodlines, especially about their Advantages and Disadvantages.

    However, one thing was certain. They were all Mythical Level Bloodlines, which were the strongest that have ever been given in the Bloodline Trials. Even Arze didn''t receive a Bloodline of this grade.

    Raven knew that choosing the right bloodline would determine his fate and path towards bing a legend in this world. He took a deep breath and focused on his intuition and instincts, hoping they would guide him towards the right decision.

    He was initially tilted toward the first Bloodline, which allowed him to use the Undead to fight.

    Since Necromancers were used a lot in stories in the Human World, he knew quite a lot about the advantages this ss could have inrge scale battles. He could simply rely on the Undead.

    Moreover, the system also said that this Bloodline belonged to a Demon King who was one of the strongest in his time. This was exactly what he needed.

    Despite being clear on what he wanted, he wasn''t hasty, since the second Bloodline he was granted belonged to a god.

    After thinking for quite some time, he let out a sigh and reached out his hand to select the Necromancer Bloodline. However, just as he was about to touch the screen, he frowned, feeling a strange aura around him.

    The ck rusted sword behind him was trembling slightly for some reason, as it shrouded Raven in its majestic aura.

    While Raven was still stunned about why his sword was so active, he noticed another screen appear before him which made him shocked.

    [An Unknown Bloodline is avable]

    [Would you like to see?]

    Without a second thought, Raven agreed. His curiosity took over.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ? Avable Bloodline:

    ? Name: Forbidden Heir

    ? Bloodline Rank: (???)

    ? Evolution Possibilities: Unknown

    ? Description: The Bloodline belonging to someone whose existence has been categorized as Taboo. Not much is known about the Bloodline

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 27: Against the Laws

    <h4>Chapter 27: Against the Laws</h4>

    There were said to be online three Mythical Rank Bloodlines that could be received from the Bloodline Trial. However, not a single person had managed to receive even one!

    The highest one received was a Legendary Grade Bloodline. However, not only did Raven receive an option to select any of those three Mythical Rank Bloodlines, but there was even an additional option of a Fourth Bloodline, which was even stranger.

    The Fourth Bloodline was even more vague. It didn''t mention who it belonged to, or if they were a god or demon. There wasn''t even any information if the Bloodline was able to evolve or not.

    It was an uncertain Bloodline which didn''t even have a clear rank. However, for some reason, Raven felt as if he was extremely interested in it.

    The Bloodline didn''t give much information but it told him something interesting. It belonged to an existence that was categorized as Taboo. That meant even the name of that existence had been erased from history, unlike the gods, demons or Mythical Beings.

    An existence like that was certainly not something he could have a chance ofing in contact with, let alone receiving their Bloodlines.

    As for the Rank of the Bloodline, that really didn''t matter. One could always change their Bloodline in the future, from what he had heard. That''s also how the Rankers possessed Mythical Rank Bloodlines, even though they had received Legendary Bloodline in the Trials.

    Inside the world of Hellfire, there were opportunities, dangers and inheritances that could be discovered.

    Even though Raven wasn''t sure what this Bloodline was like, he had a feeling that it was rted to the Sword that he had bought at such an expensive price.

    ording to the rumor, the sword was a way to get a Mythical Rank Bloodline. He couldn''t help but wonder if this was the Bloodline that the rumors talked about.

    He still hesitated somewhat, between the [Cursed Necromancer] and [Forbidden Heir], but in the end, he finally made up his mind.

    He reached out his hand toward one of the four screens. And the screen he touched was the fourth!

    As soon as Raven touched the Fourth Screen, all the other three screens disappeared.

    [Bloodline Selected]

    [Checking Criteria for Forbidden Heir]

    [Approval of the Inheritance Sword... Verified]

    [Highest Rank in Bloodline Trial... Verified]

    [Level 30+ ... Verified]

    [No previous Bloodline... Verified]

    [Warning... Error... Interference of the Worldly Laws]

    [Permission not Granted... World Limitations]

    [Forbidden Heir is being erased]

    "Huh? What?"

    Everything was going smoothly, but in the end, all the screens around Raven turned blood red, with various Restriction Warnings popping up, one after another.

    It was as if the World itself didn''t want this Bloodline to be given,ing with various Restrictions. This was the kind of fear that the previous owner of this Bloodline has created. Even the worldlyws of Hellfire were still scared.

    It wasn''t clear why this Bloodline even appeared in the Bloodline Trial, when it wasn''t supposed to be here!

    Raven stood in the middle of all the warnings, taken aback.

    With time, his expressions became darker. The previous Bloodlines had disappeared after his selection, and now this new Bloodline was being rejected? Didn''t that mean he wasn''t going to get anything and leave just like that? He didn''t want that, no matter what!

    However, there was also nothing that he could do. There was only one thing that could help him now... There was only one thing that could go against thews of this world. Unfortunately, he couldn''t use it at all.

    It was the Passive Skill, which couldn''t be activated at will.

    "If you''re looking for a time to activate, this should be the time. If not, we''re both screwed..." Ravenmented, as if he was talking to himself.

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 1 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 5 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 10 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 15 Percent]

    Raven rubbed the back of his head, frustrated, as he watched the loading on the screen before him. The Bloodline was being removed entirely from this world!

    At the same time, he also couldn''t help but feel that his back was getting lighter! The Nameless Sword on his back had also started slowly disappearing, as if it was connected to that Bloodline.

    "Come on, show up! Stop it!" Raven''s fists tightened as the loading continued.

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 30 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 35 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 40 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 45 Percent]

    With each passing second, Raven was getting more and more impatient. Not only was he losing a Bloodline, but he was also losing a previous weapon at the same time.

    He couldn''t believe that his luck was so bad. He couldn''t help but regret not selecting one of the first three bloodlines instead. Anything would''ve been better than this.

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 80 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 85 Percent]

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 90 Percent]

    It was almost the end. Raven stopped pacing back and forth, watching the loading slowly reach an end. He couldn''t change anything, but he also couldn''t give up. He still had money, and more opportunities.

    He just had to find another Bloodline after leaving this ce. However, even though he knew what he had to do, he was still quite irritated.

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 95 Percent]

    {Worldly Law Interference has been Detected}

    {Passive Skill, Limitless, has been Activated}

    {Limitations of Worldly Laws has been removed}

    {Bloodline has been epted}

    {Bloodline Laws have been removed}

    {Host can equip more than one Bloodline, without having to remove the previous Bloodline}

    {Host can only use one of them at a time}

    Raven''s eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of a new notification. Finally it happened! His Skill had intervened!

    [Bloodline Removal>>> 9...Error... Removal Stopped]

    [Bloodline Assimtion Started to the Host]

    The process of removal stopped. Instead, a dark aura surrounded Raven, slowly changing the blood inside his body, into the new Bloodline.

    The Sword on his back also returned in its full glory. The process of Bloodline Assimtion had finally started!

    He was finally getting the Bloodline...he was the Forbidden Heir!

 Chapter 28: Entry

    <h4>Chapter 28: Entry</h4>

    The process of Bloodline Assimtion persisted as Raven''s blood underwent a gradual transformation, drop by drop, into an entirely novel substance.

    He experienced a peculiar sensation, osciting between numbness and heightened sensitivity.

    Sometimes, his body feltpletely unresponsive, as if devoid of any sensation or movement. Conversely, he also experienced heightened sensitivity, where all his senses seemed to be amplified.

    asionally, he experienced a sensation of being frozen solid, causing him to tremble. Alternatively, he would experience a feeling of scorching mes engulfing his body, causing fear and difort.

    The unusual feelings persisted and grew stronger, eventually causing him to lose his bnce.

    He fell onto his knees, overwhelmed by excruciating pain coursing through his body. The bones in his fingers cracked slowly, undergoing a ghastly transformation.

    He underwent a noticeable transformation in his physique, where his height had increased a few inches while his overall build remained unchanged.

    For quite some time, Raven''s loud roars echoed in the surroundings. However no one was there to listen to his roars.

    The duration of his roar remained uncertain as he eventually became unconscious and copsed on the ground in front of the hovering sphere, which was the core of the Bloodline Trial.

    ....

    In his deep slumber, Raven finally felt the same sensation that he hadn''t forgotten. He was once again back in the endless darkness where he had stayed for five straight years when he was in aa.

    As he woke up in this ce, he wondered if he had fallen to the same old hell once again. He didn''t even know how long he was going to stay here.

    Simultaneously, he was aware that something was not right. Despite the excruciating torment that was pushing him to the brink of insanity, why was he returning to the same ce?

    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was more to this ce. It was like this ce existed only to keep his mind safe. When he fell in a long slumber, he hadn''t felt the slightest pain.

    However, he knew that for his body to be modified for five straight years, the pain should''ve been way worse than what he was feeling now.

    He didn''t know what this strange space was, but he really wanted to get out of this ce as soon as possible.

    Fortunately, this time he didn''t stay here for the same amount of time as the first time.

    He didn''t know how long it had been, when he finally woke up. However, it felt like only a few hours had passed when he regained his senses.

    He slowly opened his eyes, noticing his Sword lying next to him. He was on the ground, and the strange sphere was still floating in the distance. However, now there was a barrier around the sphere.

    As soon as Raven opened his eyes, the small sphere disappeared, turning into a spatial portal with chaotic energy. It was as if this was the doorway to his real destination.

    He forced his body up, only to realize that he did feel different. He felt even stronger and more agile. His senses had be sharper than before.

    He could also feel that there was something more inside him... Something that he could feel but not use yet... a strange and scary power that even made him hesitate to investigate it.

    As he picked up the Nameless Sword, he realized that the Sword had be even lighter!

    It was now as light as the feather, as if it had properly be one with him.

    The sword was also able to change weight at his will. With just a single thought, he was able to make the Sword much heavier, to increase the attack strength. However, simrly, he could even make it lighter to increase his attack speed.

    He couldn''t just manipte the weight of the Sword, but also the size of the sword! He could make it into a sharp sword, or a heavy Sword.

    Another strange phenomenon took ce as soon as he first handed the sword in his hand after awakening his Bloodline.

    The Nameless Sword that was covered in some rust previously, changed even more. All the rust started falling apart, revealing another texture underneath.

    The Sword was a beautiful shade of silver, with various unknown characters carved on it, seemingly with someone''s blood.

    Even though all seven characters that were carved on the sword looked dim, none of them looked ordinary.

    Another thing worth noticing was that there was a chain connected to the hilt of the sword, that previously wasn''t there.

    The chains made it ufortable to hold the sword. However, something simr to the chains was also seen around the de.

    It was as if a dark tattoo of the chain was carved circling around the sharp de of the sword, making it appear as if the Sword was shackled by those chains.

    Raven tried to pull the chain from the hilt, but it proved to be impossible. He couldn''t remove it. In the end, he could only give up.

    No matter what, one thing was certain... The sword was too eye-catching. Fortunately, he had a scabbard for the sword on his back.

    He inserted the sword in the scabbard after making it light to the extent that he could barely feel it on his back.

    As he stopped paying attention to his sword, he was finally able to notice his other items which was another surprise.

    Most of his items had already been damaged in the constant battles that he had gone through.

    However, currently, all his items appeared healed, as if they were in their best condition.

    Even his clothes were much cleaner now. There was not a speck of dust at sight. It was as if it was the final gift from the Bloodline Trial to him...

    Raven nced at his surroundings onest time, knowing that he was never going to return to this ce ever again. It was finally time for him to leave...

    He stepped closer to the Spatial Portal and breathed onest deep breath.

    With a resolute expression, he stepped forward, his body vanishing into the swirling vortex of the portal.

    As he emerged on the other side, he knew that a new adventure awaited him, and he was ready to face it head-on. He was finally an Official yer in Hellfire!

 Chapter 29: Demon

    <h4>Chapter 29: Demon</h4>

    ....

    As Raven stepped through the Portal, he felt a wave of surreal energy wash over him. The world, on the other side, waspletely new and different.

    The air felt even purer in his surroundings. For some reason, he could also see some small particles of light floating in the surroundings.

    Raven took a deep breath and looked around, taking in the new environment he found himself in. He noticed that thendscape was vastly different. The trees in the distance seemed to glow in the soft light, and the grass was a vibrant shade of green.

    He appeared to be in a forest where no other person was in sight. Because therge trees blocked his view, he couldn''t see too far.

    Curious about his stats, he opened his status screen.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    yer Name: Hellfire

    yer ID: 001

    of Origin: Earth

    Age: 24

    Level: 36

    Exclusive Skill: Limitless (Passive)

    Exclusive Skill Grade: Unknown

    Exclusive Skill Number: 1

    Innate Nature: Neutral

    Bloodline: [Forbidden Heir]

    Title Equipped: [Undefeated Warrior], [Killer]

    Coins: 979,876,937

    Stats:

    Attack: 190

    Agility: 250

    Defense: 170

    Dexterity: 200

    Luck: 40

    Mana: 468

    Skills: [Berserker], [Lunar sh], [Cloud Footsteps], [Shield of Rezen]

    Bloodline Skills: [Voice of Gods], [Blood Sacrifice], [Curse Resistance], [Limit Break], [Poison Immunity]

    Items Equipped: [Forbidden Heir''s Sword], [Phoenix Armor], [Boots of Wind''s Blessing], [Cloak of Protection], [Ring of Luck], [Ring of Critical Damage], [Ring of Recovery], [Ring of Sanity],[Pendant of Magician Giana]...

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Seeing his Status Screen, his attention first went to the Bloodline Specific Skills. Even though he hadn''t seen his stats in a long time, he still more or less knew everything about his abilities.

    It was only his new abilities that he received through his Bloodline that intrigued him even the least.

    One by one, he read through the description of every new skill. Some of the skills were easy to understand without even reading the description, like Poison Immunity. However, it was the Voice of Gods that stunned him the most.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Voice of Gods

    Skill Rank: Undefined

    Skill Type: Passive

    Description: Allows the users to see the thoughts of the Divine Beings when it''s rted to the user.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The description of the skill came out as simple, yet at the same time, it felt vague as well.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Blood Sacrifice

    Skill Rank: Legendary

    Skill Type: Active

    Description: Allows the users to burn their blood to increase their Stats for a Limited Time

    Warning: While the blood is being burned, the user will feel the most extreme pain of their life each second.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Curse Resistance

    Skill Rank: Unknown

    Skill Type: Passive

    Description: Allows the users to remain unaffected by the Curses of Gods and Demons.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Limit Break

    Skill Rank: Mythical

    Skill Type: Active

    Description: Effects Unknown. Please use it wisely.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "Voice of gods? Curses of gods? Just what is this Bloodline?" Raven frowned, looking at the description of the skills. It was as if this Bloodline was specially created to go against the Divine Beings.

    He finally understood why the owner of this Bloodline was the so-called Taboo.

    For now, he stopped thinking about it and focused on his surroundings. He first had to get out of this ce.

    He looked at the sky above, noticing that it was a deep shade of blue with no sign of a cloud in sight. The air was crisp and refreshing, and he was filled with a sense of peace and tranquility he hadn''t felt in a long time.

    However, there was something strange about the sky! There wasn''t just a sun. Instead, there was also a moon!

    A bright sun hung on the left side, illuminating the surroundings. However, there was also a crimson moon on the right, which was shrouded in a bloody and demonic aura, that seemed to counter the pure aura of the moon.

    As he stood there, taking in the conflicting scene above him, he realized that he was not alone. He could feel another presence. A figure was standing beside him, and he turned to see who it was.

    Looking around, he noticed that it was a woman dressed in a ck robe with a hood covering her face. She seemed to be gazing intently at the sky, taking in all that was happening. Without a word, she turned to him and extended her hand, motioning for him to follow her.

    He hesitated momentarily, unsure if he should trust this mysterious woman. However, his curiosity overpowered his caution, and he followed her.

    He still needed to find a way out of this forest, after all.

    The woman led him through the trees and towards a small clearing, where she finally stopped and turned towards him once more.

    In the center of the clearing was a strange object that he couldn''t quite make out. The woman gestured towards it. The statue appeared roughly like a small doll that was floating in the air.

    "You want me to take it?" Raven asked, frowning.

    He didn''t know who this woman was or what her intentions were. However, he had no intention of taking that weird doll, which gave him a bad feeling.

    Instead, he was more focused on the woman, who clearly wasn''t a yer.

    Each yer that he came across in the Bloodline Trials had a unique aura around them, after all, which the woman didn''t possess.

    [Demon General of Puppetry has taken an interest in you. He''s looking at you with greedy eyes...]

    "Hmm?" It was the first time he had seen a notification like that.

    He looked around, frowning. Who was the Demon General of Puppetry? Was it the woman next to him?

    "I don''t need that doll. I''ll be taking my leave."

    Raven took a few steps back. However, right then, the notification changed.

    [Demon General of Puppetry is angry at your reaction]

    "Hmm?" Raven frowned. A simr notification appeared again, which made him surprised since he hadn''t seen such a thing before.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if it had something to do with his Bloodline Skill. A Demon General was a high-ranking demon, after all.

 Chapter 30: Avatar

    <h4>Chapter 30: Avatar</h4>

    "Who are you?"

    Raven only asked a single question. That was the only thing he wanted to know. Was the woman called the Demon General of Puppetry? Or was she someone else? And what was that thing floating in the distance?

    He also didn''t know why he was in the middle of this forest. From what he had heard, everyone who passed the Bloodline Trial was supposed to wake up in the Beginners Vige. However, he didn''t appear anywhere close to that.

    He didn''t know if it was because of his unusual Bloodline.

    The Woman raised her head. Her eyes had a strange shine on them. However, her face was expressionless, as if she was nothing more than a puppet herself.

    It was only when she came into the light, taking off her hood that her face was properly revealed.

    Raven was momentarily stunned by the woman''s appearance. Her lips appeared to have been sewn together, rendering her unable to speak. The pallor of herplexion made it seem as if shecked any hint of blood in her body. Additionally, her eyes disyed no emotions.

    The woman extended her arm and pointed her fingers towards the object that was hovering in the distance once again.

    The more Raven watched the woman, the more creeped out he felt. It was as if the woman actually was dead, and was nothing more than a puppet... A corpse puppet.

    However, if there was a puppet here, that meant there should''ve been a Puppet Master nearby.

    [Demon General of Puppetry is anxiously waiting for you to ept his blessing and be his Avatar...]

    Another notification appeared before Raven, this time giving him some more information. It was as if he really was listening to the true thoughts of a Demon, thanks to his Bloodline.

    ''Be his Avatar?'' Raven frowned. He couldn''t remember anything rted to it. None of this was told to him by the Guardian of the Bloodline Trial.

    No matter what, he had no intention of taking the blind leap, especially not until he had enough information.

    He didn''t approach the strange floating doll in the distance. Instead, he started stepping back.

    The Woman stepped before him, blocking her path. However, other than that, she didn''t do anything. It was as if she had no strength to actually block him.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is getting Angry]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is thinking about Cursing you]

    "Curse me?" Raven gazed at the beautiful sky above. "Be my guest."

    At this point, he didn''t care. He already had a perfect Bloodline for something like this!

    The woman could only watch Raven leave with her lifeless eyes. However, before leaving, Raven didn''t forget to memorize this location. He didn''t know what this doll and the whole situation was; however, he had a feeling that this might be useful to him.

    But before anything, he had to find the Beginner''s Vige and get his journey on track.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry has cast a curse on you]

    [The Curse has failed]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is astonished]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry started paying more attention to you. He is determined to make you his Avatar]

    "Keep trying... But I won''t ept it, unless it can help me..." Raven''s words were left behind, as he disappeared into the forest.

    ....

    After walking in the forest for five straight days, Raven finally reached the end of the forest! Only he knew how he managed to cover this journey without losing hope.

    There was not a single person that he came across inside the Forest, whom he could ask for directions! It was as if other than the Corpse Puppet, there was nothing else there.

    Fortunately, there were enough edible fruits in the forest that kept him going. He also had some food that he brought in his storage from the Bloodline Trial.

    After taking his first step outside the forest, he finally sighed in relief. However, it was only now that he was able to see the truly majestic sight before him!

    The Sun and the Blood Moon in the sky appeared even more intimidating as he was outside the forest. However, another thing that grabbed his attention was the floating ind up in the sky!

    "That is... The Beginner''s Vige?!" he eximed, frowning.

    The Floating Ind was the only thing that was visible there! Other than that, there was no ground before him! There was only water... Water which was pitch ck!

    After walking for five consecutive days, he emerged from the forest only to be met with an unexpected sight - a vast expanse of pitch-ck sea with no clear path ahead of him.

    There was no way to get to the distant floating Ind from this ce!

    He grabbed a nearby pebble and cast it into the water, curious to observe the reaction. The moment it hit the surface, a flurry of unidentified creatures erupted from the murky depths, aggressively vying for possession of the rock.

    Within a few seconds, the strange creatures entered the ck water, which made it impossible to see them.

    "Perfect... Only monsters werecking." Raven sarcasticallymented, as he sat on the ground.

    He took a moment to gather his thoughts and n his next move.

    He knew that he had to find a way to cross the dangerous water and reach the floating ind. However, he couldn''t fly. Even if he used his footsteps skill, he could only walk in the air for a short time, which was nowhere enough for him to reach the Floating Ind.

    As he was sitting on the ground, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around, seeing a familiar figure.

    "You still haven''t given up?" He asked as he stopped looking at the woman behind him. "I told you. I have no interest in bing anyone''s Avatar, especially not after seeing what happened to you. So you can leave."

    The woman still didn''t speak. She just walked next to Raven and sat down as well, gazing at the Floating Ind.

    "Is that really the Beginner''s Vige?" Raven asked.

    In response, the woman nodded.

    "Do you have a way that can help me get there?"

    The woman gave another nod in agreement this time.

    "You do?" Raven was momentarily stunned.

    The woman once again nodded. She pointed in a certain direction, in which the doll was floating. After pointing in that direction, she pointed at the Floating Ind.

 Chapter 31: New Avatar

    <h4>Chapter 31: New Avatar</h4>

    "Don''t tell me that I need the doll to get to the Beginner''s Vige?" Raven asked. He rolled his eyes lightly.

    The lifeless girl nodded in response.

    Although her face remained nk, her responses gave the impression that she was a naive child who could onlymunicate through simple gestures like walking and pointing.

    "I can''t touch that until I know what bing an Avatar means, especially not after offending that Demon. If it means I''ll be a puppet like you, then I don''t want to enter the Novice Vige."

    Raven only shook his head in response. "If you have any other method, then please be my guest.

    Even though he had no method of himself, he wasn''t interested in giving up his freedom.

    As he spoke, multiple notifications about the Demon General''s emotions kept popping up before him. However, he only ignored them.

    However, there was one notification which attracted his attention.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is furious and irritated at your ignorance and misunderstanding]

    "Huh?" That notification made him feel slightly confused. "My misunderstanding?"

    "Is it about the meaning of Avatar?" Raven asked, raising his head.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is stunned. He doesn''t understand why you were able to read his thoughts]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is wondering if you can actually listen to him]

    [Demon General of Puppetry grows more curious about your identity]

    "I can listen to you. So tell me what is the thing about bing your Avatar?"

    Under usual circumstances, Raven would''ve preferred to not reveal that he could listen to the Demon General''s thoughts. However, now he needed answers.

    [Demon General of Puppetry is speaking something]

    Unfortunately for Raven, he could only get a vague notification but not hear what the Demon General was speaking.

    "And, we''re back to square one..."

    Raven picked up another pebble and tossed it into the distant sea, watching the strange creaturese out again.

    "It feels like I''m in a prison, while everyone that passed the Bloodline Trials had already started in the Novice Vige..."

    Talking to himself, he kept tossing the pebbles on the sea, as if that was the only thing which could distract him to some extent.

    Next to him, the puppet girl only watched him with great intrigue, not understanding his actions.

    One day passed away, and Raven still hadn''t found a way. The Floating Ind was still far away, way beyond his reach.

    asionally, he could see some people flying around the Floating Ind. He tried to call those people, none of them even noticed him. It was as if the Forest was a ce that they couldn''t even see.

    "Alright. I''ve had enough! I''ll check it out!" Raven stood up, as if he had enough of waiting.

    There was nothing in this forest! No one wasing to help him. He couldn''t stay here all his life. It was better to take the risk than just wait for his death here.

    He decided to finally put his faith in the notifications and see just what the so-called Misunderstanding was.

    Along with Raven, the girl also stood up. She walked next to him. There was still no expression on her face. Her eyes were just as lifeless.

    However, for some reason Raven felt as if he noticed a trace of happiness in those eyes. It was only for a short moment and he wasn''t even sure if it was just his misconception.

    The two people walked back to the center of the Strange Forest, where the mysterious doll was still floating in the air.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is pleased]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is eagerly waiting]

    Raven didn''t just blindly go for the doll. Instead, he also pulled out the Nameless Sword.

    He had no intentions of trusting the doll. If something actually went wrong, he was fully intending on cutting the sword in two halves.

    As he reached near the floating doll, he was able to see many thin Illusory threads, connected to the doll, as if they were Puppetry strings which were keeping the small doll in its ce. Raven wasn''t able to touch those threads.

    He stopped merely half a meter away from the floating doll and reached out his hand to touch the doll. In his other hand, he held his sword tightly, ready for anything.

    His fingers gently touched the floating doll. But strangely enough, nothing happened. He waited for a few seconds but there was nothing.

    "Was that all?" He frowned. However right then, he saw the doll suddenly open its eyes.

    A screen appeared before Raven.

    [You''ve discovered a Legendary Rank Bloodline, Puppet Master]

    [Would you like to ept the Bloodline?]

    [Yes/No]

    "Bloodline? So bing an Avatar meant epting his Bloodline?" Raven frowned, pping his forehead.

    He couldn''t believe that this was all there was to it! The reason the Demon General of Puppetry was greedy to make him touch the doll was because he wanted him to inherit the Bloodline?

    Usually, Raven wouldn''t have epted this Bloodline since it was on the darker side. Also, for any ordinary person, epting a new Bloodline could only be achieved by erasing the previous Bloodline.

    There was no way he would''ve erased a mythical rank bloodline for a Legendary Rank. However, he didn''t have to worry about that, since he could equip more Bloodlines than one!

    Moreover, this Bloodline was supposed to help him get out of this godforsaken Ind!

    Raven thought it over and decided to ept the Bloodline. He closed his eyes and concentrated on merging it with his existing Bloodlines.

    As the Bloodline was assimted, he felt the power coursing through his veins. However, this power was concentrated separately from his Original Bloodline, as if the Puppet Master Bloodline was scared to get close to his Forbidden Heir bloodline.

    [You''ve epted a New Bloodline]

    [New Benefits are Avable]

    [Would you like to Create a new yer Avatar, that can be freely switched back and forth with the Original as needed?]

    "Another yer Avatar?"

 Chapter 32: Demon and Angel

    <h4>Chapter 32: Demon and Angel</h4>

    Raven nced at the lifeless woman behind him. So she really wasn''t trying to harm him? She was looking for a Master?

    The woman was a puppet made by someone. However, in the entire forest, there was no Puppet Master. He had already searched. That left only him..

    He finally understood why she was trying to get him to agree. However, he was still suspicious about some things.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t have any other options. An extra ss was only an advantage, especially since it was a high ss. It was better than being trapped in this prison for long.

    Raven knew that the woman had lifeless eyes. However, he didn''t know why, he felt that there was some hope in her eyes as she looked at him.

    [Yes]

    He finally selected an option. He epted the option to make a new yer Character that he could freely switch back and forth with.

    [Please Select an Avatar Name]

    "Not this again... All the names will be taken again, won''t they?"

    "Fine, I select Arash."

    [Name has been approved]

    "Huh?" Raven expected to go back and forth for at least a few hours. However, to his surprise, it was approved right away.

    [Would you like to switch to Arash?"

    On the screen, permanent options appeared which allowed him to switch back and forth between his saved Avatars.

    While his main avatar was based on his real looks, that wasn''t the case for his new avatar. Even Raven didn''t know what his new avatar was going to look like.

    He affirmed and switched to his new avatar.

    A pitch ck mist surrounded him, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside the mist.

    After a few moments, the mist disappeared and his new avatar emerged.

    Raven still looked to be the same age. However, his entire visage was different. His eyes were much darker, and his face was paler. It was as if his body alsocked blood.

    Raven''s new avatar made him look much more serious. There were some intricate tattoos on his arms and shoulder, showing some strange symbols.

    Overall, he appeared more intimidating than before, and it was clear that his new avatar wouldmand respect from anyone who crossed his path.

    At the same time, Raven also noticed that he felt much weaker. A status screen was present before him, which showed him that his new Avatar was only level one, starting from scratch.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Arash

    Species: Human

    Bloodline: Puppet Master

    Innate Nature: Demonic

    Exclusive Skill: Limitless (Passive)

    Exclusive Skill Grade: Unknown

    Exclusive Skill Number: 1

    Title Equipped: None

    Coins possessed: None

    Stats:

    Attack: 10

    Agility: 10

    Defense: 10

    Dexterity: 10

    Luck: 5

    Mana: 50

    Bloodline Skills: [Puppet Creation], [Puppet Control], [Bloodline Suppression], [Merger]

    Items Equipped: None

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Raven''s new avatar didn''t possess any equipment, or any titles that his main avatar possessed. However, strangely enough, Raven''s Exclusive Skill was still avable even in this new avatar.

    "No wonder it feels so weak. However, this Bloodline skills... How do they help me get to the Ind?"

    Raven talked to himself, going through the description of each skill.

    "The skills..."

    As he went through each of the skills, his eyes revealed some surprises.

    His Forbidden Heir main skill was more unique. However, the skills of a Puppet Master appeared more versatile. The only problem was that he couldn''t hear the voice of gods in this avatar and he was also very weak.

    ****

    Three dayster, Raven was once again standing on the edge of the ind.

    He had finally mastered all the new skills. Even though his level was still the same, but he learned more things about his new Bloodline now. And what came as a surprise was the woman!

    As soon as he epted the Bloodline, the woman had be his Contracted Puppet.

    She still couldn''t talk to him, but Raven could now understand her better.

    Moreover, he now had a better idea as to why the woman said that he could leave the Ind after taking the Bloodline! It was because the woman herself could fly!

    Now that Raven epted the Bloodline, she was also free of this Ind, and could leave with her new master! There was nothing else holding her back.

    Another thing that surprised Raven was that the woman was a special puppet. It couldn''t level up by killing others, but it could grow stronger with its master!

    Her strength depended on Raven''s strength in his second Avatar.

    The woman grabbed Raven''s hands, as soon as he gave hismand. Two beautiful wings appeared behind her back. One wing looked like an angel''s wings while the other looked like a demon''s wings.

    Those wings looked real as well, which made Raven wonder just who this woman used to be, before she died and was made into a puppet? How could she have characteristics of two opposite Bloodlines?

    Unfortunately, other than some basic information about her skills, he didn''t get any information about her.

    There were many questions in his head. Why was this Bloodline kept there? Why was this woman waiting there? And who exactly was the Demon General of Puppetry?

    He only ced his hopes on getting an answer from the Novice Vige. However, with his current strength in this avatar, he knew he had to be careful

    The woman brought Raven closer to the Ind.

    Even though many people were flying around the Ind, none of them tried to stop him. It was as if there was no security needed in this ce. There was no barrier either.

    Raven''s feet soonnded on the ground safely. The woman alsonded next to him. Her body was covered in a cloak and her mouth was covered with a mask. Only her beautiful eyes were revealed, which hid her identity of a puppet.

    Finally, he was there... On the Novice Floating Ind, starting his new journey. The entire ind was crowded with people, contrary to his expectations. He could see almost every species here, except humans.

 Chapter 33: The New King

    <h4>Chapter 33: The New King</h4>

    The Floating Ind stood isted in the vast expanse, a ce unparalleled and distinct from any other in the world. Its expansive territory surpassed its distant appearance, captivating all who gazed upon it.

    At the heart of the Beginner''s Ind loomed a colossal statue, a tribute to Arze, the former Top Ranker of the Bloodline Trial. However, as soon as Raven set foot on the ind, he noticed a gradual transformation taking hold of the statue, changing its shape.

    The sudden metamorphosis of the statue sent shockwaves through the inhabitants of Novice Vige. This monument had remained unchanged for as long as anyone could recall. The statue at the center drew the majority of attention, leaving Raven unnoticed by many.

    "There''s a change in the statue? Has a new king risen in Novice Vige?" a curious youngster eximed, breaking the silence.

    "When was thest time this happened? I can''t even remember. Has someone broken Lord Arze''s record? Who could achieve such a feat?" wondered another resident.

    As Raven walked through the streets, he overheard numerous astonished voices. However, what stunned him even more was when the statue finallypleted its transformation. To his astonishment, he realized that the statue now resembled none other than himself.

    Even the long-term inhabitants of the Floating Ind, who had be ustomed to its wonders, were left dumbfounded. The absence of wings on the figure depicted in the statue revealed that it was not a Draconian or an Archangel, which came as a shock. Instead, the statue portrayed a human.

    Within the confines of the Beginner Ind, only a few humans resided, their strength so feeble that they had been unable to venture beyond the Novice Vige.

    These humans, known for their timidity, chose to remain within the safe boundaries of the Beginner''s Ind, fearful of the unknown. Consequently, they had be the subject of ridicule throughout the ind.

    Humans were regarded as third-rate citizens,cking respect from their peers. However, upon witnessing the statue''s transformation, the humans, who had always kept their heads lowered, finally raised their gazes. They wondered if this was an omen of significant change brewing in Hellfire.

    The revtion that a human had surpassed Arze and imed the top rank in the trials left almost everyone dumbfounded. People became vignt, eagerly searching for the individual portrayed in the statue, anticipating a momentous shift in power.

    Some individuals, having recentlypleted the Trials, were not surprised by Raven''s statue.

    They had personally witnessed the trials'' intricate challenges, so it held no shock for them. They began sharing their experiences, slightly embellishing Raven''s achievements to depict him as a bloodthirsty devil.

    As Raven strolled through the streets, he encountered tales of his own exploits. Some of these stories were so absurd that he couldn''t help but roll his eyes in disbelief.

    While most of the ind''s residents remained cautious and prepared themselves for when they were to see Raven, there were also those who were driven by greed. They believed that Raven''s sess was a result of mere luck.

    Despite his skills, they considered him inexperienced in the outside world. Furthermore, they boasted higher levels than most of the inhabitants of the Beginner Vige, bolstering their confidence in crushing a neer.

    They harbored the conviction that they could defeat Raven, seize his treasures, and further enhance their own strength, potentially attaining an even higher Bloodline.

    Instead of showing reverence towards Raven, they viewed him as prey. Moreover, numerous individuals felt embarrassed that a seemingly weak human upied the position of the King of Trials.

    Their frustration led them to vent their anger on the weaker humans, vandalizing their shops and subjecting them to physical abuse whenever they encountered one.

    Raven''s altered appearance shielded his true identity, preventing anyone from linking him to his original self. However, his human facade attracted significant attention, drawing the gaze of many individuals.

    Observing the plight of humans in this realm, a sense of irritation welled up within Raven. The circumstances seemed to suggest that humans held no rights and were treated as mere stepping stones for the higher species.

    "Oh, a new human brat?" A figure adorned with two horns extending from their forehead fixated their gaze upon Raven, their lips curling with anticipation. "It''s been years since a new human arrived. And now, it seems two havee at once?"

    The demonic figure stepped forward, blocking Raven''s path, apanied by a group of diverse yers from various species who had formed an alliance for mutual benefits.

    Unlike the organized factions within the Bloodline Trial, this group hereprised individuals from different backgrounds.

    Raven halted, finding himself encircled by an expanding crowd, closing in on him from all directions. Alongside him stood his puppet, Elia, whose face remained hidden behind a mask, leading others to assume she was also human.

    "Can I assist you?" Raven turned to face the yers that surrounded him, keenly observing their presence.

    In his original Bloodline, he possessed the ability to perceive the levels of other individuals through his Divine Vision. However, as a Puppet Master in his current form, hecked ess to this skill.

    Unable to gauge the strength of those encircling him, Raven could only discern their names disyed above their heads. The bright red hues of their names indicated their history of yer kills, signifying a formidable past.

    Conversely, when the other yers nced at the name hovering above Raven, they encountered a bright green inscription, denoting a yer who had not taken a single life.

    [Arash]

    Upon seeing the green name, the crowd erupted into heartyughter. To them, Raven appeared as yet another weakling who had breezed through without encountering any real challenges, resembling nothing more than a feeble rat.

    "Hand over all your treasures and coins, and in return, we shall grant you our protection!" the leader of the group dered, a wide grin etched across their face.

 Chapter 34: Kin

    <h4>Chapter 34: Kin</h4>

    In the bustling realm where the extraordinary and the mundane intersected, a scene unfolded that caught the attention of onlookers. Two humans found themselves surrounded, their predicament drawing the gazes of many, yet none dared to intervene.

    The majority of passersby, consumed by their own fears and anxieties, averted their eyes and continued on their way.

    Even the other humans ignored Raven, scared of attracting the attention of the formidable Demons, only thinking that self-preservation outweighed any inclination to assist those in need.

    Amidst the indifferent crowd, Raven surveyed the yers surrounding him. As a mere Level 1 yer, his current prowess fell short of challenging them, even with his High ss of a Puppet Master.

    The odds seemed stacked against him, leaving him with only one potential path to victoryˇŞa risky switch to his original ss.

    However, this choice came at the cost of unveiling his true identity, a prospect that only served to invite even more enemies.

    To reveal who he truly was meant to expose himself to a heightened level of danger, eradicating the thin veil of anonymity. The anonymity that shielded him from those who were looking for the person on the Statue to have revenge or to show their might.

    "Reveal your Status Screen to us! So I know how much protection money you need to pay!" bellowed the dark-haired leader of the opposing group,manding Raven''spliance.

    Ordinarily, yers could not see each other''s status screens or discern the amount of wealth their counterparts possessed. For that, a yer had to willingly reveal their status screen.

    Although Raven''s new ss altered his status screen, it still disyed the number of coins he possessedˇŞan invaluable secret potent enough to send shockwaves throughout the realm.

    "I don''t have any money. All my coins were taken by other yers during the Trial," Raven offered a usible excuse, considering it improbable for a mere human to exit the Trial unscathed.

    "Oh?" the dark-haired man sneered. However, he also realized the logic behind Raven''s exnation.

    He turned his attention to the woman next to Raven. Even though the woman had her face covered, she had a voluptuous figure, attracting the man. The man thought that the reason she hid her face was also because she was just so beautiful.

    "I shall permit you to pay in other ways. Surrender the woman to us, and you shall be our ve, obeying our everymand!" the man eximed, his vile intentionsid bare. "We require bait for our next quest, and you might prove useful."

    As the man extended his hand toward Elia, poised to seize her, Raven swiftly stepped forward, obstructing his path.

    A weary sigh escaped Raven''s lips, sensing the encroaching headache. Reluctantly, he acknowledged that he had no alternative but to revert to his original ss.

    Until he could increase his Levels in this Avatar, the Puppet Master ss wasn''t particrly useful here. Moreover, Elia''s strength was inextricably linked to his own. In the midst of this tense confrontation, neither Raven nor his adversaries noticed two figures observing from a distance, their gazes fixed upon them.

    Cloaked in darkness, the pair remained enigmatic, their identities veiled from prying eyes.

    "A new human yer?" one of them whispered, expressing surprise. "He seems to be in dire straits."

    "Let us leave them be. There is nothing we can do," replied the other, shaking their head. "Our focus should be on locating the New King of the Ind. Only he can help us change the status quo."

    The second figure gently tugged at the first''s hand, urging them to move on. Yet, the first person resisted, their resolve unyielding.

    "Can we truly abandon them?" A deep sigh resonated,den with a sense of disappointment. "The man will probably die, and the woman with him will... Can we really abandon them?"

    With resolve fueling his actions, the man freed his hand. "I cannot leave them. The memory of my own arrival in this realm, facing a simr plight, still lingers. Had it not been for the help I received from that person... I would have died as well. Abandoning them feels akin to forsaking myself."

    The second figure scratched their head in mild exasperation. "Your unwavering morals can be so annoying sometimes. Fine, but just this once!"

    The two hooded figures diverged, fading into the shadows through separate paths.

    The first person discarded his cloak and concealed his true identity behind a disguise of an old man. Adorned in tattered garb, he blended into the ordinary masses.

    A yer having two menacing horns on his forehead, known as Razier, stood dumbfounded at Raven''s audacity to block him. The intensity in Razier''s eyes hinted at his malevolent intentions.

    "Wait!" A voice rang out, interrupting the imminent sh. A frail old man pushed through the gathering crowd, positioning himself beside Raven. His aged appearance revealed clearly that he was a human.

    "My Lord Razier, I beseech you to pardon them! They are neers, ignorant of the rules. They are my kin from our shared origins on Earth. Allow me to pay for them!" the old man pleaded.

    Razier''s icy gaze fixated on the old man. A green name floated above the old man''s head.

    "You are willing to pay? Very well! What price are you prepared to offer?" Razier inquired, his mind already calcting the wealth he would extract from the old man. However, he harbored no intention of allowing Raven and the girl to escape unscathed.

    tion flickered across the old man''s eyes. "I-I have chanced upon a truly rare treasure! I offer it to you, My Lord!"

    Reaching into a cotton bag hanging at his waist, the old man retrieved an object, concealing it within his wrinkled palm.

    Curiosity ignited within Razier as he wondered about the nature of this treasure. All attention shifted toward the old man, oblivious to the sudden movement unfolding behind them. In a swift motion, the old man hurled a small metal ball toward Razier.

    Caught off guard, Razier hastily shielded his face with hands. The ball connected with his chest, igniting a fiery explosion that sent him sprawling backward.

    The forceful st depleted nearly half of Razier''s health points in a single devastating blow. Startled, the remaining assants momentarily redirected their focus from Raven and Elia toward the audacious old man.

    Meanwhile, a hooded figure materialized behind Raven, urgency permeating her feminine voice. "Come with me before they discover our escape!"

    Raven''s hand was seized, and the woman cloaked in mystery whisked him and Elia away from the escting chaos.

    The old man, undeterred by the onught, retrieved another metal ball from his arsenal. The remaining yers hesitated momentarily, a flicker of fear coursing through their ranks.

    Seizing the opportunity, the old man chuckled. "We shall meet again."

    He shattered the metal ball against the ground, unleashing billows of white smoke that enshrouded the surroundings.

    When the fog lifted, the old man had vanished without a traceˇ­

 Chapter 35: Julien

    <h4>Chapter 35: Julien</h4>

    Through the narrow and intricate streets, the woman led Raven to a secluded alley beforeing to a halt. She cast a quick nce over her shoulder, ensuring they weren''t being followed.

    "That guy loves causing trouble for me," she muttered, removing her hood and revealing her beautiful face. "What a headache."

    The woman appeared young, in herte twenties, and of Asian descent. Her eyes were cold and distant, as if she considered Raven to be a burden.

    "Who loves causing problems for you?" a voice teased from above. A man leaped down from a nearby roof, gracefullynding next to the woman.

    Raven noticed the man carrying the same small bag around his waist, but he appeared much younger. His eyes were a striking shade of green.

    Raven could discern that the man''s physique bore a resemnce to the old man who had assisted him earlier. It seemed the two were one and the same, with the young man adopting a clever disguise.

    However, something didn''t quite add up. Unlike before, the name above the man''s head was no longer green but red. He had also taken the lives of yers in the past, as evidenced by his different name. This unexpected revtion surprised Raven.

    If he truly was the same old man, it puzzled Raven how he could change not only his appearance but also his name. Initially, he believed he was the only person capable of such transformations, thanks to his multiple avatars. Yet, it was clear that this man possessed his own methods.

    "Who else but you?" the woman retorted, rolling her eyes.

    The man scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "Anyway, thanks for the help back there."

    He turned his attention to Raven. "I know you must have many questions right now, but introductions will have to wait. They''re probably searching for us frantically. We should get moving."

    The man raised his right foot and tapped the ground in a peculiar but rhythmic pattern. As he finished, a small opening materialized on the ground, previously nonexistent.

    "Follow me," he beckoned, jumping into the ground. The woman followed suit, disappearing into the opening.

    Raven rubbed his forehead, unsure of the situation he found himself in. However, he sensed it might be for the better. What hecked most was information, and these people seemed capable of providing it. Moreover, they had helped him. It was better than being alone.

    Despite this, he couldn''t fully trust them. The fate of his brother served as a stark reminder that in this world, there were no eternal friends. Anyone could betray another if presented with enough benefits.

    He remained cautious and kept his guard up before motioning for Elia to follow him.

    Together, they leaped into the hole and vanished from sight.

    "Don''t let them escape! Find them, even if we have to search the entire ind!" A group of pursuers continued their search for Raven, even scouring the very alley where he had been. Unfortunately, they arrived seconds toote.

    The opening in the ground had sealed shut as if it had never existed.

    Unbeknownst to the enemy above, Raven found himself in an underground passage. Dimly lit and chilled, the passage was spacious enough to amodate arge group if necessary. The walls appeared weathered, bearing w marks, likely made by some unknown beast.

    "This is our underground dungeon, our secret base that nobody else knows about," the young man informed Raven.

    Observing Raven''s confusion, he lightly pped his forehead. "Oh, right, I haven''t introduced myself yet."

    "I am Julien," he introduced himself. "On Earth, I lived in Germany, toiling away in a mundane office. Here, I am a Thief ss responsible for reconnaissance. As for my Bloodline, I''m afraid I can''t tell that."

    "That is Yui," Julien introduced, gesturing to the woman beside him.

    "She is an Assassin. Although she maye across as harsh at times, deep down, she''s truly a kind-hearted person." As he spoke, he yfully ruffled Yui''s hair, but she shot him a re and swiftly pped his hand away.

    Raven responded, "I am Arash... And she is Elia. Thank you for rescuing us outside. May I ask why you decided to help us? Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with some information."

    "Of course," Julien replied. "In this unfamiliar world, knowledge is the most powerful weapon one can possess. As a neer, it''s natural for you to be curious. But before that, follow me, and I''ll take you to the others."

    As if thinking of something, he smiled wryly and muttered, "They will probably scold me quite a bit for bringing an outsider here without consulting them..."

    "Anyway, the reason I helped you is simple... because you needed assistance and because you''re a fellow human."

    Raven questioned, "I saw so many humans in the city, suffering. Why did you help me and not them?"

    "Their lives weren''t in immediate danger. Although their lives may be miserable, they can at least stay alive. However, you... You would have died if they had taken you. Moreover, I believe you can be of help to us."

    "I can help you? With what?" Raven inquired.

    "You emerged from the Trials around the same time as him, the person everyone on Beginner Ind is talking about... The New King of the Bloodline Trial. We should be able to glean some valuable information from you," Julien exined.

    However, as they proceeded, Julien nced at Yui. "Do you think the others will buy that excuse and spare me from being scolded?"

    Yui let out a deep sigh. "You fool. You always act first and then scramble for excuses to justify your actions. Don''t you have the whole process reversed?"

    Guiding Raven and Elia through the lengthy and intricate maze, Julien proved invaluable. Without his guidance, Raven felt certain they would never have found the correct path.

    It was evident why these people chose this hiding ce. Even if someone stumbled upon it, deciphering the right path would be nearly impossible, given the numerous traps lining the incorrect routes.

 Chapter 36: Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 36: Paradise</h4>

    As they neared the end of the treacherous maze, a faint clicking noise caught Raven''s attention, sparking a sense of unease as if they were being pursued. He nced over his shoulder but found no one there, yet the subtle sound persisted.

    In a sudden motion, a shadow darted across Raven''s peripheral vision, prompting Elia to unsheathe her dagger, ready to defend him.

    "Wait, hold your attack!" Julian called out.

    The shadow stopped just short of Elia, finally revealing its true form. Neither human nor monster, it manifested as a peculiar entity devoid of a physical body.

    The frightening creature stood before Elia, emitting an eerie screech, yet refrained fromunching an actual assault.

    Regrettably, Elia functioned solely as a Puppet, obedient only to Raven''smands. She acted independently only when her Puppet Master''s life was at stake.

    Disregarding Julian''s instructions, sheunched an assault on the strange Illusory Creature. Her dagger passed through its chest. Unfortunately, it proved useless as the creaturecked a physical form, impervious to her physical attacks.

    Despite being unharmed, the creature screeched even louder, betraying signs of distress. Its visage featured nothing but pitch-ck eyes, which transformed into a blood-red hue upon being struck. Recoiling, it soared backward, its screeches growing more pronounced.

    The terrifying screams didn''te from the singr creature in the front. The chilling shrieks reverberated from all directions within thebyrinthine maze.

    "This is not good," Julianmented, his hand idly scratching the back of his head.

    "What is happening?" Raven inquired, his gaze fixed on the passageway slowly filling with these ghastly entities, as though they were converging upon their location.

    "As I said, this ce is an old Dungeon. The reason we live here is because it isn''t harmful, once you know its secrets. One such secret is about the creatures that live here..." Julian briefly elucidated, his head shaking slightly.

    "These entities are known as Nightmares, low-level beings that wander the maze and enjoy scaring people," Yui added while brandishing her twin knives, preparing for the imminent battle. "Nevertheless, they rarely cause harm unless attacked first."

    "Nightmares are the most bothersome creatures within this Dungeon. Despite their low level, they cannot be killed through ordinary means due to theirck of a physical form," Julian dered, unsheathing his sword. "This will get messy. Stay behind me. When they grow agitated, they be truly dangerous."

    The Nightmares surged forward, baring their dark fangs, while their bloodthirsty eyes could unsettle even the most resolute souls.

    "How can you kill creatures thatck a physical form?" Raven inquired, his voice betraying a hint of curiosity. Since Julien wasn''t scared, it made him feel that he had a way.

    Julian raised his sword, wreathed in a mystical me.

    "Skills that harness Mana..." he exined.

    With a decisive swing, his zing sword cleaved through one of the Spectres, evoking an ear-piercing shriek before the creature dissipated into nothingness.

    "That is the only method to kill them," Julian asserted confidently. "Unfortunately, given their numbers, we might deplete our Mana reserves before we can eliminate even half of them. We must keep moving!"

    Yui and Julien valiantly fought off the approaching Nightmares as they pressed forward toward the maze''s exit, albeit at a painstaking pace.

    Their task was made increasingly difficult due to their limited numbers. While they could have easily protected themselves and advanced if it were only the two of them, their attention was now divided, focusing on safeguarding Raven and Elia, who were still considered newbies ording to them.

    They didn''t expect Raven to have a good rank in the Bloodline Trials. At best, they assumed he possessed a Mid or Low Tier Bloodline, which typically conferred only ordinary skillscking the ability to harness magic power.

    In this regard, their assumptions were not entirely off base. Raven''s current avatarcked anybat skills that utilized Mana. Most of his abilities centered around the creation and control of Puppets, limited because of his status as a Level 1 yer in this particr avatar.

    Undeniably, he was the weakest member among them, not just within the maze but across the entire ind. However, there was one person who was capable of wielding Mana in an offensive manner... Elia.

    By using his [Puppet Control], Raven established a connection with Elia who could use his Mana and possessed a skill that could harness its power.

    After establishing a connection, Raven was able to see everything that Elia saw. Not only could he see everything, but he could also control her like he was controlling his own body.

    Elia kept back her dagger and raised her right hand, conjuring a small me above her palm.

    Condensing the flickering me into a small sphere, she hurled it toward the nearest specter.

    "You can use Mana already?" Julian eximed, surprised as he witnessed the me scorch the Nightmarish Creature.

    He had always regarded Elia as Raven''s silentpanion, assuming a subservient role. However, her newfound ability proved invaluable, as fire was highly effective against the Specters.

    Rather than reveling in the praise, Raven''s focus shifted elsewhere. A message appeared before him.

    [Congrattions: You have killed a Level One Nightmare Beast]

    [+Experience]

    He was taken aback by the revtion that he received Experience Points, despite Elia being the one to deliver the killing blow.

    His perception shifted. Instead of regarding these Nightmare Beasts as mere nuisances, he now saw them as opportunities, akin to Experience Potions tailored to aid a yer''s level.

    He controlled Elia to fight together with Julien and Yui. While the other two fought the higher-level Nightmare Beasts, he concentrated on killing the lower-level creatures.

    Their defeat gave him meager experience points. Yet, for a Level 1 yer like him, even modest gains proved significant.

    After eliminating a few more Nightmares, Raven noticed that he had already leveled up multiple times. However, his sess was apanied by dwindling Mana reserves.

    Elia possessed no personal Mana reserves and relied solely on Raven''s supply. Moreover, the Mana in this avatar was already really low.

    Fortunately, he had already bought quite a few items before leaving the Bloodline Trial. When no one was looking, he brought a small blue vial from his storage and gulped down, restoring his mana to the fullest.

    This experience was insignificant for his main Avatar, or for Julien and Yui. However, for his current Avatar, this ce was an unexpected gain! This treacherous terrain had transformed into an ideal hunting ground, a paradise for a low-level yer like him.

 Chapter 37: High Ranking Players

    <h4>Chapter 37: High Ranking yers</h4>

    [Level +1]

    Raven''s level continued to increase steadily. However, the pace of his Level-Ups became progressively slower as each level required a greater amount of experiencepared to the previous one.

    Within just half an hour, Raven managed to reach Level 10. Unfortunately, as the Lower Level Nightmare Beasts fell, they were promptly reced by Higher Level Nightmare Beasts, intensifying the onught.

    "I am running out of Mana!" Julien''s voice conveyed his stress.

    "Same here," Yui chimed in, echoing the sentiment.

    They found themselves on the brink of the maze''s exit, with a mere ten meters left to cover. However, those ten meters felt more like a hundred, as an onught of Nightmare Beasts attacked them relentlessly from all directions.

    "That''s why I despise these creatures! There seems to be no end to them!" Julien vented his frustration.

    Yui spoke in agreement, "We need to make a run for it, utilizing whatever remaining Mana we have left to break through their ranks. Once we reach the exit, we should be safe."

    Summoning all their remaining strength, Julien and Yui braced themselves to charge towards the exit. Despite the formidable challenge ahead, they were willing to take the risk.

    "On the count of three!" Julien eximed.

    "One!"

    "Two!"

    "Thr-"

    Julien initiated the countdown, mentally preparing himself to give it his all in one swift motion. However, before he couldplete his sentence, he froze in ce.

    "Get down on the ground!" a cold voicemanded from somewhere.

    "Get down!" Julien swiftly reacted, gripping Raven''s shoulder and pulling him down. Yui did the same with Elia.

    In the blink of an eye, all four of them found themselves lying on the ground.

    "Now!" the cold voice rang out once again. A brilliant light illuminated the passage as a powerful energy beam surged from the maze''s exit.

    The Nightmare Beasts that were about to pounce on Julien and the others were caught in the devastating attack. Their shrieks abruptly ceased, and in a fleeting moment, they were obliterated by the overwhelming force of the beam.

    The sheer strength of the attack astonished even Raven. He knew that if he had been caught in it, he likely wouldn''t have survived, except perhaps with his Main Avatar and all his equipped Items.

    "Are you going to lie there all day? Drag your useless selves out of there before more Nightmares arrive!" the cold voice stated. "I''m not going to save you again."

    Raven shifted his gaze toward the maze''s exit and discovered another human figure standing there, adorned in what appeared to be Legendary-tier Armor.

    Julien extended a helping hand to Raven, assisting him to his feet. The four of them covered the remaining few meters to finally escape the maze, just before more formidable Nightmare Beasts flooded the passage.

    The piercing screeches of the Nightmare Beasts caused Raven''s head to ache. Nevertheless, the Nightmares were unable to exit the maze. It was as if an invisible barrier prevented their escape.

    "Thank you for your assistance," Julien said, calming his breathing as he expressed his gratitude toward the armored man.

    "We didn''t need his help," Yui retorted, rolling her eyes. "We could have escaped on our own."

    "If only your attacks were as sharp as your useless words," the armored man coldly remarked.

    "Regardless, even you two aren''t foolish enough to provoke the Nightmares. I assume these two are responsible," he added, turning his attention to Raven and Elia, focusing on their Green Names.

    Raven also observed the man''s name, which appeared in blood-red letters.

    [Ayzel]

    "It''s not their fault. I failed to warn them about the Nightmares," Julien innocently replied. "Nevertheless, I brought them here because they can be of assistance."

    He actually didn''t think about how he was going to exin to others. However, he decided to stick with the excuse that he hade up with. Even he wasn''t sure if that was going to be enough.

    "Assistance?" Ayzel sarcastically asked. "To me, they seemed more like a burden back there. You always had a knack for picking up trash."

    "Regardless, since you''ve already brought them here, do as you please. I''ll let the old man handle it." Ayzel didn''t bother asking for an exnation. He simply turned around and headed back.

    His only reason foring here was because he heard some noise and decided to investigate, suspecting intruders.

    "He is quite strong," Ravenmented as Ayzel left.

    It wasn''t just the man''s attack that impressed him, but also his equipment. Raven was certain that the man was a high-ranking yer, which made it surprising that he was still on Beginner Ind.

    "He is indeed strong. One of the most powerful yers in our team. Even though he can be cold at times, I can always rely on him," Julien nodded.

    "He''s just an arrogant jerk," Yui rolled her eyes.

    Raven was even more intrigued by this group of humans. While the surface-dwelling humans led pitiful lives filled with misery, these covertly gathered humans seemed reasonably strong.

    That raised a question in his mind.

    "What is the purpose of this group? What are you trying to aplish?"

    "Well... I''m afraid I can''t disclose that just yet. At least not until the old man approves of you joining our group," Julien appeared conflicted. On one hand, he was quite open-hearted and enjoyed conversation. On the other hand, he couldn''t reveal their secrets.

    He instructed Raven to follow him, stating that he would take him to meet the old man. Raven didn''t know who the old man was, but it was evident that he was the group''s leader.

    Raven followed Julien, but he couldn''t help but nce back at the Maze where hundreds of Nightmare Beasts had gathered. He had made up his mind to utilize this Hunting Groundter.

    Julien led Raven through a narrow alleyway before finally arriving at a small door that creaked open.

    The room inside was dimly lit, but Raven could discern a figure sitting in the shadows.

    Julien stepped forward and whispered something. The figure nodded. Only when Julien stepped aside did Raven catch sight of the person.

 Chapter 38: Dangerous Offer

    <h4>Chapter 38: Dangerous Offer</h4>

    It came as a surprise to Raven that the person everyone referred to as the "old man" was actually a mere teenager, not even fifteen years old.

    The young boy had short dark hair and a fair, slender face, which appeared slightly immature. He happened to be the youngest human Raven had encountered on the ind.

    "He''s the old man?" Raven inquired, his curiosity piqued.

    "How old do you think I am?" the dark-haired boy asked, his lips curling into an amused smile.

    Raven nced at Julien, who discreetly rubbed his forehead while raising nine fingers, ensuring he wouldn''t be caught by the boy they called the old man.

    "Nine?!" Raven eximed, disbelief evident in his voice.

    The boyughed and yfully grabbed Julien''s ears, causing him to cry out in pain. Although Julien made no attempt to free himself with force.

    "How did you expect him to understand your gesture of nine fingers?" the dark-haired boy asked, releasing Julien''s ears and turning his attention to Raven. "I am actually ny years old."

    "Ny? But you look so..." Raven''s brow furrowed.

    "So young?" the boy interjected, smiling. "It''s partially due to my Bloodline. I age in reverse. When I arrived here, I appeared to be twenty. But after five years..."

    His smile faded, disappointment clouding his features. Initially, he was ted to regain his youth, thinking he was back in his twenties and could live longer.

    Unfortunately, he soon realized that something wasn''t quite right. Despite being younger, his aging process had also reversed. At this rate, he was about to be a child within a decade, eventually vanishing altogether.

    The young boy shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts, and shifted his focus to Raven. "Enough about me. I heard that you just came out of the Trial, in which a New King has appeared? A yer who is a human?"

    Raven nodded, wondering why these people were so concerned about his main avatar. Even though he had broken the Bloodline Trial record, he believed that the young boy before him possessed a much higher level.

    "Good... Good... So it really was a human. In that case, we must find him. He might be able to free us from this curse!" the boy dered urgently.

    Raven became bewildered, hearing the man talk about the curse.

    "What curse? What is happening here? Why are so many high level humans on the Beginner Ind? Why are you hiding underground?"

    The dark haired boy didn''t answer. If anything, he became silent. His eyes turned serious. The immature aura around him disappeared.

    Raven felt a heavy pressure acting up on his body, as if a heavy mountain was ced on his shoulders.

    The boy''s eyes turned cold as he locked his gaze with Raven. "You will learn everything, but only if you join us. If not, you are free to leave. However, in that case, I will bepelled to erase your memory to ensure our secrets are protected."

    A system screen materialized before Raven.

    [You have received an Invitation Offer]

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Invitation to the [Blood Oath Guild]

    By epting the Invitation, you pledge to abide by the following Guild Rules:

    ? Never disclose Guild secrets to non-Guild members.

    ? Provide support to fellow Guild members when needed, as long as it does not endanger your own life.

    ? Comply with allmands from the Guild Leader.

    ? Surrender any surplus items obtained during quests to the Guild in exchange for coin rewards.

    ? Refrain from harming any other Guild member.

    ? Never resign from the Guild.

    (Warning: epting the Invitation renders you bound by the rules. Any vition will result in the loss of all levels, reverting you back to Level 1.)

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    [Do you want to ept the Invitation?]

    [Y/N]

    Staring at the invitation, Raven was taken aback. Joining any guild was not his intention from the beginning, but upon reading through the rules, his shock only intensified. The guild regtions seemed to strip away all his freedoms.

    If he had to obediently follow the Guild Leader''s everymand and couldn''t even leave the guild at will, it resembled nothing short of a ve contract disguised in flowerynguage.

    His gaze involuntarily shifted towards Julien, who was evidently a guild member. The reason he couldn''t share any guild secrets before became clearˇŞit was due to these strict rules.

    Strangely enough, Julien appearedpletely fine even when he was under these rules. It was as if so far, there had been no conflicts in the guild. He also appeared quite close to the dark haired boy.

    Nevertheless, Raven felt uneasy. He had no desire to ept this enving contract. However, the boy had also issued a threatˇŞIf he didn''t ept, he was to be kicked out with his memories erased.

    Raven cherished his memories dearly and had no intention of letting anyone tamper with them. He had no idea what the old man would discover within his mind if given the chance.

    Even if he epted the Invitation, the old man could demand ess to his Status Screen,pelling him to reveal his secrets. Raven didn''t want anyone to know his secrets, especially not because he was under someone''s control.

    That was thest thing he wanted to do. However, if he declined the invitation, the old man was still going to use ''erasing memories'' as an excuse to read through his memories.

    It seemed as though he had made a colossal mistake bying hereˇŞhe had unwittingly stumbled into a trap.

    The dark-haired boy, hands sped behind his back, confronted Raven. "What are you contemting? Do you want to join us, and learn the secrets of this world that you would never know otherwise? Or do you want to leave? I''ll respect your wishes."

    As the man''s prating gaze bore into him, it felt as though he could peer into the depths of Raven''s soul.

    "I''m afraid I can''t ept this invitation. At the same time, I can''t allow you to mess with my memories... So I''ll have to reject both the offers."

    Raven took a deep breath. It was clear that he had no choice but to offend these people, even if it meant a fight.

 Chapter 39: Breaking Point

    <h4>Chapter 39: Breaking Point</h4>

    Raven''s rejection caught the dark-haired boy off guard, as he had not anticipated such a response.

    To him, Raven was a neer, barely surviving the Bloodline Trial and experiencing the harsh realities of the outside world. It should have been clear to Raven that his chances of survival in this ruthless world would be greatly improved with their support.

    Typically, yers were delighted to receive an opportunity to join the Guild, recognizing the immense advantages it offeredpared to going solo. However, Raven stood apart from the norm.

    "Think carefully. Rejecting my offer is a grave mistake. Do you have any idea how much those humans out there would give to join us?" The boy''s tone turned cold. "If it weren''t for Julien''s request, do you honestly believe you would have received this offer? You don''tprehend the gravity of your actions!"

    Confusion filled Julien as he questioned Raven''s decision, unable to make sense of it.

    Raven had no other ce to call home, and Julien had brought him here, personally requesting the old man to grant him permission to join them. Raven''s rejection felt like a p in the face to the old man, leaving him visibly upset.

    Raven remained silent, resolute in his decision. He was prepared to face these people head-on if they tried to coerce him into epting.

    "Is this truly your final decision?" inquired the dark-haired boy, although he already knew the answer from Raven''s unwavering expression.

    "In that case..." The boy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his aura underwent aplete transformation.

    The Invitation Screen vanished, reced by a surge of pressure that rained down upon Raven''s body. Overwhelmed, he crumpled to the ground on his knees, unable to remain standing.

    "I will respect your choice. You are free to leave. However, I will be taking your memories of everything you have witnessed here!" The dark haired boy eximed.

    With Raven on his knees, Julien couldn''t help but feel a twinge of pain. Having brought him here, he felt responsible for the turn of events, even though there was nothing he could do. It was simply the rule.

    Elia perceived this as an attack on Raven. Drawing her dagger, she lunged at the dark-haired man.

    Reacting swiftly, Julien intercepted her, positioning himself between Elia and her target.

    Although Elia possessed strength, she was still considerably weaker than Julien. Their swords shed briefly before Elia was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the wall.

    Her mask slipped from her face, revealing her lifeless features.

    Julien momentarily froze, gazing at Elia''s face. Herplexion was pale, her lips sealed shut, and her eyes devoid of life or emotion.

    Undeterred, Eliaunched another attack. However, as she advanced, the same pressure descended upon her with even greater force than Raven had faced. Her movements grew sluggish, her speed waned, and ultimately, she fell to her knees, immobilized as if trapped in ce.

    "How intriguing... She seems to be a puppet. Now I''m even more curious about you." The young boyughed, shifting his attention to Raven. "I''ll offer you one more chance. Join us!"

    "There''s still time! ept the guild''s offer. You won''t regret this decision! The guild is like family, and every yer supports one another, just as you witnessed with Ayzel!" Julien called out, his concern evident.

    Raven attempted to resist the pressure, but to his surprise, he found himself powerless against it. He couldn''t rise to his feet, feeling as though an entire mountain pressed down upon him.

    "This is the result of my attempts to help people... Some individuals are simply undeserving of assistance! Your selfishness will soon bring you regret," sighed the dark haired boy,prehending the implications of Raven''s silence and resistance.

    "When you find yourself in need of help, you will be left alone. Furthermore, you won''t even recall this offer or this ce!"

    "Stay away from me!" Raven warned, his muscles tensing with defiance.

    "Even stronger yers than you couldn''t withstand my Field. Despite my young appearance, not a single person here can stop me when I decide to teach a lesson to impudent brats like you!"

    The old man halted before Raven, observing the bloodshot eyes. This scene... This helplessness.... This felt awfully familiar!

    His brother was also on his knees, unable to fight back when he was killed. That scene kept ovepping the current scene in Raven''s mind. In his eyes, the dark haired boy was no different than Arze, ruthlessly exploiting his own strength.

    "I said stand back!" Raven bellowed, but the dark-haired boy paid no heed to the warning.

    No one coulde to his aid. Julien stood at a distance, his fists clenched tightly, while Yui remained motionless, her eyes fixated on Raven, her expression pensive.

    "What frightens you so much?" The dark-haired boy locked eyes with Raven. Although he had encountered rejection before when offering this choice, Raven''s resistance proved unparalleled.

    "You truly don''t want me to ess your memories, do you?" he remarked with an intrigued smile. "That piques my curiosity. What secrets lie within your memories that you are so desperate to conceal? What drives your fierce resistance?"

    "Don''t worry, though. In a matter of minutes, I will uncover everything. I will delve into every corner of your memories. You may choose to remain silent, but your memories will reveal everything!"

    Finally overwhelmed by emotion, Raven sensed an invasion of his mind. That was the breaking point. He reverted to the same state he had experienced when witnessing his brother''s demise.

    The Nameless Sword materialized in his hand, instantly diminishing the weight of the pressure upon him.

    "I said stay away from me!" Raven''s roar grew louder as he wielded his formidable sword.

    The dark-haired boy''s eyes widened in horror as he witnessed Raven''s movement. What shocked him even more was the sword, seemingly able to effortlessly slice through his field.

    For a brief moment, silence enveloped the surroundings. Then, a hand soared through the air, blood spewing from the dark-haired boy''s shoulders, scattering in all directions.

    Julien''s eyes widened, while Yui''s lips parted. It was as if time had frozen in that singr moment.

 Chapter 40: Ravens Unyielding Path

    40 Chapter 40: Raven''s Unyielding Path

    The dark-haired boy known as Quinn stood frozen in ce, his eyes wide with shock. Before he could react, he watched in horror as his left hand was abruptly severed, blood gushing from the wound.

    His Domain, once a shield of protection, shattered under the onught of the Nameless Sword.

    The devastating blow left him paralyzed with pain, and it took him a long while to find his voice, which emerged as a roar of agony.

    In the depths of his torment, Quinn''s body instinctively responded, and heshed out with a powerful kick, propelling Raven backward. Raven felt as if his bones were cracked under the powerful kick.

    Raven was sent hurtling through the entrance and crashed into the hallway, coughing up blood as he fell.

    His HP plummeted in an instant, barely clinging to a mere one percent. With the old man''s domain shattered, Elia, previously under his control, regained her freedom.

    Instead of attacking Quinn, she rushed to Raven''s side, recognizing the severity of his injuries. Her connection to him was profound, for he was her puppet master.

    Julien and Yui hurried over to Quinn, who was bleeding profusely. Julien ced a hand on Quinn''s shoulder, attempting to heal him.

    Unfortunately, the loss of a severed arm in this world was nearly impossible to heal without a miraculous healing pill, a rarity impossible to find on the Beginner Ind. The best Julien could do was stem the bleeding.

    "Don''t concern yourself with me! Capture that wretch and bring him back!" the old man sneered, his voice filled with determination.

    Julien nodded, swiftly leaving the ce to pursue Raven. Meanwhile, Yui remained with Quinn, offering her assistance.

    As Julien stepped out into the hallway, he noticed a trail of blood drops leading to a wall crater. To his dismay, Raven and Elia were nowhere to be found; they had vanished.

    Conflicted emotions coursed through Julien. He had brought them here to ensure their safety, but the situation had taken an unforeseen turn.

    Now, he had to chase after those whose lives he had previously saved. If caught, Quinn was unlikely to show them mercy.

    Regrettably, there was nothing more he could do at this moment. Time had slipped away, and he had to catch them, even if it went against his desires.

    ...

    Leaving a trail of blood in their wake, Elia supported Raven as they covered a few meters.

    Raven retrieved a recovery potion, hastily drinking it as his mind remained clouded and his vision blurred. The potion began to heal his wounds, gradually restoring his HP to full and halting the bleeding.

    Thebyrinthine hallways of the guild''s basey before them, an unfamiliar territory where getting lost was all too easy.

    "Left," Raven whispered, freeing himself from Elia''s grasp. He could now walk without needing anyone''s help, albeit still staggering a little.

    Leading the way this time, Raven relied on his memory of the route taken when Julien had brought him to this ce. He had always harbored suspicions about their motives. Yet, he hadn''t anticipated this situation.

    This was the guild''s stronghold, where members like Ayzel stayed. If possible, Raven wished to avoid confrontation with them, as the odds were stacked against him.

    As they neared an intersection, Raven heard faint footsteps echoing in the distance.

    He quickly retreated, concealing himself and Elia behind a nearby wall until the guild members passed. Once the coast was clear, they swiftly crossed the intersection, increasing their pace.

    "Next time, refrain from attacking recklessly. Do you understand?" Raven reminded Elia, despite knowing that her understanding was limited. Elia, though not the most intelligent, was a conscious being capable ofprehension and learning.

    Elia remained calm and collected, her instincts making her follow Raven without hesitation.

    "Arash, stop! Stop this instant!" A powerful voice rang out from a distance, reaching Raven''s ears as he sprinted forward.

    The voice belonged to Julien, who was rapidly closing the gap between them. Despite the opportunity to strike from afar, Julien held back.

    "Running away is impossible. It''s futile. Surrender and I''ll talk to the old man myself! Just apologize to him! It will at least save your life! Don''t sacrifice yourself over nothing!"

    Julien''s voice grew louder as he narrowed the distance between them. However, Raven paid no heed.

    "I have no interest in bing someone''s puppet! I will write my fate myself! I won''t give this right to anyone else, not even the gods!" Raven retorted sharply.

    As he continued his escape, he arrived at the entrance of the MazeˇŞa treacherousbyrinth notorious for ensnaring those who ventured into it. Nightmare Beasts and other monsters lurked within its winding corridors.

    Without a second thought, Raven plunged into the maze, undeterred.

    "You fail to grasp the danger within that maze! The paths change when one wants to leave! Stop before it''s toote! I''m trying to save your life!" Julien pleaded, extending his hand. Regrettably, Raven refused to halt.

    "Stop! This is my final warning!" Julien eximed, raising his sword, which flickered to life with a vibrant red me.

    Raven gradually slowed his pace. He came to a stop, standing in the heart of the maze''s passage. He turned to face Julien, his gaze devoid of emotion.

    "Try to stop me! I won''t even allow God to stop me in a ce that I want to leave!" His words carried a resolute determination.

    Julien sighed, the distance between him and Raven now spanning twenty meters.

    "Things shouldn''t have reached this point. I saw a reflection of myself in you. I sought to help you. But now... I ampelled to hurt you." Julien closed his eyes, preparing himself for whaty ahead.

    The mes on his sword intensified, zing with an even fiercer brilliance. "If possible, please forgive me for what I''m about to do next. However, your actions have forced my hand!"

    Raven remained silent, yet the grip on his sword''s hilt tightened, his resolve unyielding.

    Upon entering the realm of Hellfire, he had a purpose. Initially, his objective centered on locating his

    brother. However, over time, it transformed into exacting vengeance on his brother''s behalf.

    He would permit no obstacles on his path to vengeance, regardless of their origin. Even if the road was strewn with thorns, he was prepared to tread upon it, barefooted.

 Chapter 41: Return to the Main

    41 Chapter 41: Return to the Main

    Raven held his Nameless Sword firmly in his hand. So far, only Julien stood before him.

    Julien raised his ming Sword. However, before he could attack, he heard footstepsing from behind him which caught both their attention.

    Startled, Raven realized that a group of people was approaching, not just one person. As they drew nearer, he noticed their high-tier equipment, rivaling even Julien''s own gear.

    Although most of their faces were unfamiliar, one thing was clearˇŞthey were all human yers and members of the guild.

    In the distance, he also noticed Yui, who was apanying Quinn who had stopped bleeding, but his arm was still missing. His face was shrouded in clear anger.

    Julien looked back, noticing quite a few Guild Members rushing toward him, along with the old man.

    He turned to Raven. With so many people, there was no chance for Raven''s resistance. He issued onest warning.

    "As I said, there is no escape. It is toote now. Surrender.... This shall be myst warning! Please don''t make me do this!"

    Behind Julien, a swarm of guild members and the old man hurriedly closed in on them.

    Feeling outnumbered, Raven knew that his chances had gone down a lot, yet his expressions didn''t falter. He wasn''t prepared to surrender or meet his end here. His eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for an opportunity.

    Instead of responding to Julien''s warning, he raised his Nameless Sword defiantly, pointing it at Julien in a challenge.

    The unexpected gesture caused Julien to sigh deeply, realizing Raven''s intentions. Even till the end, the man was stubborn.

    He knew that the old man wanted to see through Raven''s memories but Raven didn''t want that. That was how this entire problem became so big.

    He didn''t know what Raven wanted to hide, but he also didn''t want to forcefully see through someone''s memories.

    In one final act of assistance, Julien decided to help Raven onest time by offering him a swift death, allowing his memories to fade away with him.

    This way, he was granting onest wish of the person whose life he saved previously, without betraying the guild and letting him escape.

    "So be it," Julien uttered, and his entire demeanor transformed. The air around him turned frigid, and his ming sword burned with intensified ferocity, capable of melting metal within seconds.

    Raven remainedposed, observing Julien as he prepared to attack.

    Suddenly, he moved, disying exquisite footwork. Though the Nameless Sword was heavy, it possessed a deceptive sharpness that could slice through anything, despite its apparent bluntness.

    Julien anticipated Raven''s attack, but he was taken aback when he witnessed the mid-air redirection of Raven''s sword.

    Raven deftly turned his wrist, swinging the sword to his left. In an instant, a nightmare beast in the hallway shrieked in agony as the de passed through it.

    "You!" Julien eximed, realization dawning upon him.

    His Sword came shing down, firing a ming arc toward Raven, which should''ve been enough to make sure that not even his ashes were left behind. He couldn''t allow Raven to escape, especially after deciphering his n.

    Raven remained unfazed even in the face of the attack, his calm demeanor unyielding. It was toote for Julien to alter the oue. In fact, he had been waiting for this precise moment, knowing that a nightmare beast would appear before him.

    As the wounded nightmare beast let out a piercing cry, it attracted other Nightmare Beasts who flooded the passage in an unstoppable tide.

    Julien''s attack struck the nightmare beasts, ying a few, but it failed to reach Raven.

    Hundreds of nightmare beasts stood as an imprable barrier between them, obscuring Julien''s view of Raven. All he could perceive was Raven''s voice carried by the cacophony of shrieking synonymous with the new King of Bloodline Trials.

    11:22

    [Level +1]

    creatures.

    "The next time we meet, the oue will be much different," Raven''s voice echoed.

    Julien hastily entered the maze, determined to catch up to Raven, but the nightmare beasts impeded his progress.

    On the other side of the nightmare beasts, Raven found himself encircled by the horde.

    A bright light spread through his surroundings as Raven finally switched to his Main Avatar. In the blinding light, his eye color gradually reverted to its usual hue and his physique changed in a very subtle manner.

    His attire underwent a transformation, shifting back to the clothes he had worn before he had turned to his Puppet Master Avatar.

    With his return to his Main Avatar, a surge of familiarity washed over him, restoring his previous strength. He had missed this strength a lot during his time as the Puppet Master.

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is looking at you with fascination]

    [The Demon General of Blood is looking at you with great interest]

    [The Demon General of...]

    As soon as he returned to his main avatar, his passive Bloodline Skills also activated on their own.

    His return invoked the interest of various demon generals, as messages shed across multiple screens, notifying him of the attention he garnered. However, Raven disregarded these distractions, realizing that he had no time to dwell on them at the moment.

    The profound sense of power coursed through his veins, reaffirming that his main avatar far surpassed the Puppet Master inbat prowess.

    With a single sweeping sh, he effortlessly sliced through the nightmare beasts that had amassed around him. His mana reserves had replenished and increased by a lot in his Main Avatar, but he knew that lingering in this ce was useless as there was no end to these Nightmares.

    With his left hand, he kept killing every Nightmares Beasts who came closer to him. With his right hand, he wore all his High Tier items, including all the recovery rings.

    At the moment, in Beginner Ind, there was not a single person who was better equipped than him.

    The blood-red robe fluttered as he draped it over his shoulders, a symbol that had be synonymous with the new King of Bloodline Trials.

    [Level +1]

    In the past, the ying of a few nightmare beasts was enough to level up his Puppet Master avatar. Yet, with his high-level main avatar, he found that he was only able to level up once after killing dozens of Nightmare Beasts.

    He also noticed one more change. Usually, Nightmare Beasts couldn''t be killed without use of Mana but it came as a pleasant surprise to him that he could kill the Nightmare Beasts with the Nameless Sword, even without using Mana, which saved a lot of his energy.

    With every step he took, he killed tens of nightmare beasts, their agonized shrieks escting in intensity. At the entrance of the maze, Julien embarked on his own relentless assault, cutting down any nightmarish creatures obstructing his path, determined to catch up to Raven.

    Following Quinn''s instructions, the remaining guild members rallied together, joining the pursuit of Raven through the maze gued by nightmaresˇ­

 Chapter 42: The Fifth Passage

    Chapter 42: The Fifth Passage

    With each passing second, a relentless onught took ce as multiple Nightmare Beasts met their demise. However, a disheartening truth unfolded before themˇŞthe fallen creatures were swiftly reced by even stronger Nightmares.

    It was as though the maze possessed a self-regting mechanism, where the death of Nightmare Beasts only served to amplify the challenges faced by the yers. As the seconds ticked away, an incessant influx of higher level Nightmare Beasts attacked.

    The realization dawned upon Raven that there seemed to be no end to this nightmarish ordeal. So far, killing the beasts had proven rtively manageable, as they posed no significant threat. Yet, with the emergence of Higher Level Nightmare Beasts, the tide began to turn against him as it became harder to kill them.

    The inevitable truth loomed in his mind: it was merely a matter of time before these creatures surpassed his own strength. This very reason was what made the Nightmare Beasts so troublesome and formidable.

    Fortunately, the appearance of Higher Level Nightmare Beasts also helped Raven''s rapid growth in his own abilities. He kept leveling up even faster.

    With each sessful kill, the gap between his level and that of the Nightmare Beasts diminished.

    Still, he harbored uncertainty about how long he could endure if he were forced to rely heavily on Mana. Only the Nameless Sword instilled in him a sense of confidence that he could eventually escape this treacherousbyrinth.

    Meanwhile, Julien and the others relied on their skills and used Mana in a relentless effort to keep pace.

    The intensified onught of Nightmare Beasts, brought forth by Raven''s presence, targeted not only him but also Julien and hispanions. Only through their unwavering teamwork did they manage to forge ahead.

    "Arash, there''s no escape! You''re heading towards a dead end!" Julien''s powerful voice resonated through the maze, reaching Raven''s ears from afar.

    "The maze routes have changed! There''s no way out! You''ll only stumble into a trap that even I''m uncertain if I can face! Turn back and retreat before it''s toote!"

    Raven heard Julien''s words, yet whether they were mere bluffs or the maze had indeed altered its pathways, he could not ascertain.

    Nheless, time was a luxury he did not possess. Without responding to Julien, he pressed onward, venturing deeper into thebyrinth.

    Even though Raven wasn''t in his Puppet Master Avatar and couldn''t control Elia with force, his bond with her remained unbroken.

    Elia knew that Raven was her master, even if he was in a different Avatar momentarily. She listened to his instructions out of her own volition without any forceful restrictions that usually forced her to listen to her Master''smand.

    Moreover, she tapped into Raven''s Mana Reserves and asionally killed Nightmare Beasts herself.

    [Level +1]

    The notification resounded in Raven''s mind, apanied by the appearance of the System Screen. However, amidst the other notifications, an additional one caught his attention.

    [Puppet Master Avatar Level +1]

    Even though he wasn''t in his alternate Avatar, he was gaining experience in that as well. Initially, he was surprised why that was the case. But he soon understood that it was because of Elia.

    His Puppet Master Avatar wasn''t being used. However, it still remained in existence. The Nightmare Beasts that Elia killed gave her some Experience Points. However, the rest of the Experience Points from her kills were going to his other avatar.

    This realization filled him with great surprise. Slowly, he was learning more and more about his Split Avatars.

    Thanks to Elia, he could still foster the growth of his other Avatar, seizing this invaluable opportunity. Though he exterminated the majority of the Nightmares, he intentionally left a few wounded, allowing Elia to kill them and channel the experience gained to his other Avatar.

    After enduring an unrelenting horde of Nightmare Beasts, Raven finally reached the passage''s end.

    Observing the path diverge into five routes, he murmured to himself, "He wasn''t bluffing."

    When Julien and him had initially ventured into this area, there were merely two paths to choose from, and Raven had been aware of the correct one. However, the current scenario presented a stark contrastˇŞthree additional paths had emerged, indicating a knowledge possessed by Julien and the other Guild Members.

    transformative shift within the maze.

    The amalgamation of routes rendered the task of discerning the correct path arduously difficult, especially without the advanced knowledge possessed by Julien and the other Guild Members.

    Raven nced back, a thought shing through his mind. In the end, he shook his head and swiftly dismissed the notion.

    He dropped the idea of going back to knock Julien out and bring him forcefully as a hostage and guide, mostly because Julien wasn''t alone.

    Moreover, such a n entailed significant risks andplications. With a decisive swing of his sword, Raven cleaved the Nightmare Beasts that encircled him, preventing others from taking their ce.

    Determined, he selected one of the five paths and stepped forward.

    At that moment, he could only rely on his instincts and hope for favorable oues.

    Out of the five paths, he selected thest one, not knowing where it was going to lead him. He understood that even if he erred and faced death, it would be a consequence of his own actions. He adamantly refused to retreat and be a mere puppet under someone else''s control.

    Prepared to confront more rushing Nightmare Beasts, Raven advanced into the fifth passage. However, to his astonishment, all the Nightmare Beasts halted at the entrance, as if unable or unwilling to enter.

    The reason behind their sudden change in demeanor remained unclear. It was unclear if it stemmed from an inherent inability to ess the path or from an overwhelming fear of something hiding in the passage that eclipsed their usual animosity toward Raven.

    Inside the passage, Raven furrowed his brow, casting a nce back at the screeching Nightmare Beasts, their eyes aze with bloodlust. Yet, they refrained from pursuing him further.

    Raven grew quite curious behind their reason. From the limited knowledge he had about the Nightmare Beasts, thanks to Julien, two possibilities surfaced in his mind.

    The first possibility was that the fifth path was the right path. It led to the exit and it was the safe zone.

    Meanwhile the second possibility was much worse. It meant that this was the worst path that he could''ve selected and that there was something there that could even scare these crazy ghostly beings.

    Irrespective of the underlying secret, only one path remained to uncover the truth.

    Raven averted his gaze from the Nightmare Beasts ignoring their frenzied cries echoing through the air. He fixed his attention on the dimly lit, ominously silent path before him.

 Chapter 43: Truth, Destiny or Desire?

    Chapter 43: Truth, Destiny or Desire?

    As he delved deeper, the atmosphere grew more oppressive, and an eerie stillness enveloped the surroundings.

    The screeches of the Nightmare Beasts became distant, until theypletely disappeared.

    The absence of the Nightmares'' relentless pursuit was still a thought in his mind that was constantly surfacing.

    The path seemed to stretch on endlessly, leading Raven further into the unknown recesses of the maze. The dim lighting cast eerie shadows along the walls, creating a foreboding ambiance. Every step he took was apanied by a sense of curiosity towards the end of this path.

    The silence was deafening, broken only by the echo of his own footsteps. Raven''s mind raced, contemting the possibilities that awaited him at the end of this path.

    The conflicting thoughts of a safe zone and a menacing presence warred within his mind.

    As he pressed forward, the air grew colder... Cold enough to make an ordinary man shiver.

    Raven tightened his grip on his sword, ready to defend himself against any impending threat. Yet, the tension remained unbroken, and no Nightmares lurked in the shadows.

    ....

    Back in the passage filled with Nightmares, Julien and the others finally reached the end of the path, with five separate passages before them.

    "He actually left. Do you think he chose the right path?" One of the yers asked, ncing toward the second passage.

    Julien sharply frowned. He wasn''t sure if Raven actually chose the right path. The only thing he was certain about was that the wrong path meant death.

    So far, no one had returned alive after taking the wrong path. It was through their years of trial and error with many yers sacrificing their lives that they found out the right path to enter and the right path to exit. Both times, the maze acted differently.

    "Doesn''t matter! Let''s check the right passage! If they selected that, we can still catch them. And if they selected the wrong path, then doesn''t it mean our work is already done? Only a matter of time before they are dead."

    One of the yers took the lead, entering the second passage to make sure Raven wasn''t on the right path.

    The other yers also entered the second path, since that was protected from the Nightmares. On the other hand, Julien was still standing there, lost in thoughts.

    He nced at the other four paths. In the end, he shook his head and also entered the second path. Without any Nightmare Beast to stop him, he could use his full speed to get out of the maze and catch upto Raven if he was there.

    Within a short time, he overtook the other yers and reached the end of the Dungeon, where the opening was.

    He passed through the Dungeon wall, appearing back on the surface. He found it quite strange that he hadn''t found Raven until now. There was no way he could''ve reached here before him.

    "Did he really take a path to his death?" He wondered. He covered his face and wore a hood, before jumping to a nearby building.

    Throughout the day, his figure appeared all around the city, yet he never found Raven, which convinced him. Raven had taken the wrong path, a path from where there was no return.

    "Maybe it''s for the best," hemented, sitting on the highest building in the city while gazing at the beautiful moon in the sky.

    "If only you could''ve joined us. I thought I could help you like he helped me when I was new... I thought I could be like Weiss... Instead, I pushed you to your death by taking you to my guild."

    Under the bright moonlight, the Majestic Statue in the center of the City appeared even more prominent...

    .....

    Time seemed to lose its meaning as Raven continued his solitary journey. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, and the weight of uncertainty bore down on him. It was as if there was just no end to this passage.

    Doubts and questions swirled in his mind, but he refused to let them deter him. He hade too far to turn back now.

    There was one good thing though. So far, he hadn''te across any traps, which gave him a sense of calmness. It made him feel like this was indeed the right path. Despite that, he remained alert, taking each step after careful consideration.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the path widened, revealing arge chamber bathed in an ethereal glow.

    The sight that greeted Raven''s eyes left him in wonder. It was a breathtaking sceneˇŞa serene garden filled with vibrant flowers, their colors seemingly untouched by the darkness that gued the rest of the maze.

    In the center of the garden stood a majestic, ancient tree, its branches reaching toward the heavens. The tree exuded an aura of tranquility and power, radiating an energy that calmed Raven''s restless soul. It felt as if he had stumbled upon a hidden sanctuary, a haven amidst the chaos.

    Other than him, there was no one else in this ce.

    Raven cautiously approached the tree, his gaze taking in the beauty that surrounded him. As he drew closer, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, whispering secrets of the past. The tranquility of the garden washed over him, momentarily alleviating the burdens he carried.

    It was as if all his fatigue was disappearing. However, amidst the peaceful respite, a faint voice echoed through the chamberˇŞa voice that seemed to emanate from the very essence of the tree itself.

    It spoke in anguage unknown to Raven, yet its melodic tones resonated within his being, touching his heart and awakening a To his surprise, the entrance to this garden had closed on its own. There was nothing there but a wall, as if the entrance was never profound sense of awe and reverence.

    p!

    Raven suddenly pped his face,ing out of his daze. It was as if he was hypnotized by the ancient tree, marily losing control over his body.

    Thud~

    A sudden banging sound resounded in the back, making Raven turn.

    To his surprise, the entrance to this garden had closed on its own. There was nothing there but a wall, as if the entrance was never there!

    The strange voice came again!

    Initially, he couldn''t understand the strangenguage, but the next time he heard the voice, it became more clear.

    The voice was asking him a question, and it wasing from within the ancient tree before him.

    "What shall a wise man seek?! Truth, Destiny or Desire?!" The deste voice asked.

 Chapter 44: Success or Failure

    44 Chapter 44: Sess or Failure

    The question came from within the tree, as if the tree itself was alive. Yet no life could be felt from within.

    At the same time, Raven also heard some movements around him, as the asional rustling of winds intensified, as if there was something around that couldn''t be seen.

    He could also feel as if multiple eyes were watching him. He observed his surroundings. Sometimes, it felt real. While other times, it felt like it was his misconception.

    The only thing for sure was that this wasn''t a safe ce.

    While he was lost in thoughts, the ancient voice once again came, repeating the same question. This time, the tone was somewhat impatient.

    "What shall a wise person seek?! Truth, Destiny or Desire?!"

    Raven grew even more confused, having no clear understanding. Was this tree a living creature of this Dungeon? Was it a monster? Was this a trap? Why was it asking a question like that if it was a trap?

    The biggest question in his mind was the significance of this question. The question doesn''t appear without purpose. It was a choice that he was told to make.

    He stood there, contemting the question posed by the deste voice emanating from the ancient tree.

    The words echoed in his mind, each option holding its own allure and uncertainty. He knew that his choice could shape his path forward, and the consequences could be profound.

    While he was still confused, his eyes nced at the corner of his view, where a notification had appeared.

    His eyes revealed a look of surprise. "So that''s what it is."

    [Goddess of Nature has woken up]

    [The Goddess of Nature is looking at you with curiosity]

    [The Goddess of Nature feels a familiar scent on you]

    The notifications were simr to what he received when he came before a Bloodline Test of the Demon General of Puppetry.

    The only difference was that there was no anticipation with the Goddess of Nature. It was as if she wasn''t in a hurry like the Demon General of Puppetry was.

    By now, Raven was convinced that this was the wrong path. However, that also made him slightly concerned. If this path only had this test, then why did no one ever return alive?

    That made him feel that this test was more dangerous than it appeared. Moreover, since this test still existed, that meant no one had ever passed it.

    No one returned alive and no one passed that test. It was clear what the consequences of failing this test were.

    Truth, Destiny, or Desire? The three options tugged at his thoughts, urging him to consider their implications.

    Truth beckoned to his inquisitive nature, promising knowledge and understanding. It enticed him with the prospect of unraveling the mysteries thaty hidden within the depths of the maze. A wise man was also often associated with truth.

    Pursuing truth meant seeking answers to questions that had gued him since the beginning of his journeyˇŞa chance to uncover the secrets of this enigmatic realm and perhaps find a way to shorten his journey.

    On the other hand, Destiny called out to his sense of purpose and fate. Choosing this option meant embracing the unknown and trusting in the course that had led him to this moment.

    It hinted at a predetermined path, one that could unveil his true purpose and guide him towards his ultimate destiny. To follow destiny was to surrender control and let the currents of fate carry him forward.

    Desire stirred his innermost longings and aspirations. It appealed to his personal ambitions, urging him to pursue what his heart truly yearned for.

    The allure of desire whispered promises of power, control, or even the fulfillment of unachievable dreams. To choose desire was to prioritize his own desires above all else and embrace the potential rewards it might bring.

    Each option held its own risks and rewards, and Raven knew he couldn''t take this decision lightly. The consequences of his choice would ripple throughout his journey, shaping his experiences and determining the path he would tread. So far, no one has survived this test after all.

    "What would a wise man select?"

    He didn''t consider himself to be a wise person. In his life, he had made many mistakes. He had lost many people. He had gone through lots of suffering.

    In his mind, he wasn''t even close to wise. A true wise person would never have made so many mistakes in their lives. In his mind, a wise person was literal perfection.

    The question came down to, which of the three choices could be considered wisest by a person who never made mistakes?

    As he stood before the ancient tree, the weight of the question pressed upon him. Raven closed his eyes, taking a moment to center himself amidst the tranquil garden. He allowed his intuition to guide him, seeking rity amidst the ethereal atmosphere.

    When he opened his eyes, a resolute determination settled within him. He had made his choice.

    "He will seek truth," Raven spoke with conviction, his voice resonating through the chamber. "A wise man will want to know everything. He won''t give up his control over his life to destiny! He won''t give in to his desires. He will select the truth!"

    Silence engulfed the garden, and for a moment, Raven wondered if his answer had been the correct one. But then, the ancient tree stirred.

    The whistling of the leaves intensified.

    A new notification appeared before Raven, thanks to his passive Skill that could peer through the unknown.

    [The Goddess of Nature is disappointed. She had stopped paying attention to you]

    The single notification stunned Raven. This wasn''t the response he was looking for! It meant he had failed the test. Which meant there was danger!

    He still couldn''t see anything in his surroundings, but he could feel some slithering noise. It was as if something was sliding on the ground, circling around him... Something scary... something that couldn''t be seen, and only sensed... Something big.

 Chapter 45: Nirvana

    45 Chapter 45: Nirvana

    As Raven strained his senses, the slithering noise grew louder and more pronounced, encircling him like a predator preparing to strike.

    A shiver ran down his spine marily, but he refused to sumb to fear as if he was prey to some unknown existence. He knew he had to face whatever awaited him. Even if others had failed to return alive. The stakes were too high for him to falter.

    In a fluid motion, Raven drew his sword, its de emanating a faint ethereal luminescence. Firmly gripping the hilt, he assumed a defensive stance, poised to face the unseen enemy.

    Elia, too, readied herself forbat, but like Raven, she struggled to sense any tangible presence. In fact, she found herself at even more disadvantage due to her less acute senses whenpared to Raven.

    With each passing moment, the invisible presence drew closer, its sinister aura sending chills. The temperature plummeted unexpectedly.

    Strangely enough, the once lush grass surrounding them transformed from vibrant green to inky ck. Even the leaves of nearby trees underwent a dramatic change, casting an eerie ambiance over what was once a picturesque garden.

    Abruptly, the ground beneath Raven''s feet trembled, and a surge of energy crackled in the air. In a blinding sh, the colossal form of a gigantic serpent materialized before him, its translucent body quivering with malicious intent. Towering above him, the creature fixed its slitted eyes upon its intended prey.

    With a resounding hiss, the snake lunged forward, venomous fangs aimed for Raven''s head.

    Reacting with lightning speed, Raven sidestepped the attack, narrowly evading the lethal strike. The sh of steel against scales reverberated throughout the chamber as Raven swung his sword with precision, aiming at the creature''s ethereal form. However, with each blow, his weapon passed through the snake as if it were a mere illusion.

    Even the power of his Nameless Sword proved inadequate in killing the Giant Snake, let alone make contact with it. Something was amiss with this formidable creature.

    It manifested only briefly beforeunching an attack, disappearing once more. Physical assaults proved futile against it.

    Even though the Snake was visible for only a brief moment, Raven managed to catch glimpses of its form.

    For a fleeting moment, Raven''s eyes gleamed with insight. A status screen materialized before him, revealing vital information about the Snake:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Snake of Nirvana

    Level: 60

    Description: The Snake of Nirvana, often referred to as the pet of the Goddess of Nature. It is renowned as the most venomous creature in existence. A single bite from this serpent can y even gods, nullifying any defenses or healing capabilities.

    Due to its eternal entrapment, its strength has significantly diminished.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "Level 60?" Raven felt a headache mounting.

    Even after defeating the Nightmare Beast, he had only managed to ascend to Level 45. A gap of fifteen levels was substantial. The Snake surpassed him in strength, possessing superior defense and speed. Moreover, a single bite from the serpent could prove fatal to anyone.

    Finally, he understood why no one had returned alive from this encounter.

    Realizing the futility of physical attacks, Raven tapped into his innate mana, summoning a torrent of energy that enveloped him in a pulsating aura.

    The air crackled with raw power as he harnessed his Bloodline Abilities, determined to find a way to ovee the seemingly insurmountable challenge before him.

    Drawing upon his vast reserves of mana, Raven unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, each meticulously calcted and aimed at the Snake of Nirvana.

    The battle wreaked havoc on the surrounding grass, reducing it to ruin and debris. Yet, Raven discerned an unsettling patternˇŞ destroying nature seemed to fuel the Snake''s anger and in turn increase its strength.

    Bolts of lightning surged forth from Raven''s fingertips, colliding with the ethereal form of the serpent, filling the chamber with a brilliant illumination. Waves of scorching fire erupted from the ground, searing the serpent''s translucent scales.

    The Snake of Nirvana was not so easily defeated. It slithered and dodged, its movements swift and agile. Raven''s attacks grazed its body but failed to deliver a decisive blow. The serpent retaliated with its venomous fangs, striking with lightning speed whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    Each encounter with the snake brought Raven closer to the edge of defeat. He felt the venomous breath of the serpent on his skin, its sinister presence weighing heavily upon him. His strength waned, and fatigue crept into his limbs, threatening to ovee him.

    There were moments when the Snake''s fangs came perilously close, mere centimeters away from Raven''s flesh.

    Elia, witnessing the intensity of the battle, fought alongside Raven with unwavering determination.

    She conjured protective barriers and unleashed her own abilities, bolstering Raven in their struggle. Yet, even theirbined efforts appeared inadequate against the relentless assault of the Snake of Nirvana.

    As the battle raged on, Raven''s mind raced, seeking a strategy that could tip the scales in his favor. He knew he could not rely solely on brute force or magic alone.

    The disparity in levels was too vast for such approaches. He had to uncover the creature''s weakness, the chink in its seemingly imprable armor.

    With an upsurge of unwavering resolve, Raven fixated his gaze upon the serpent''s eyes, the sole visible part of its form unshielded by resilient scales.

    He detected a subtle shift in the creature''s gazeˇŞa fleeting hesitation before each strike. It was a small but crucial opening, holding the potential for victory.

    Seizing the opportunity, Raven summoned every ounce of his remaining strength. Agilely evading the snake''s lethal fangs, he hurled himself at its head with reckless abandon.

    Executing a swift and precise movement, he drove his sword into the creature''s eye, piercing through its ethereal form.

    A deafening roar reverberated through the chamber as the Snake of Nirvana writhed in anguish. Its form flickered and wavered, the agony and damage inflicted upon it exacting their toll.

    Raven capitalized on his advantage, unrelentingly assaulting the serpent''s vulnerable spot with unyielding force.

    As the sword made tangible contact with the snake''s blood, it thrummed with heightened activity. Amongst the seven symbols adorning the de, the second symbol flickered to life.

 Chapter 46: Taunting the Goddess

    46 Chapter 46: Taunting the Goddess

    The Sword became noticeably sharper and slightly longer in Raven''s grasp. As he examined it, he couldn''t help but feel that something else had changed about the weapon. It was as if the Sword was devouring something from the snake, transferring its essence into Raven''s body.

    A series of notifications shed before Raven''s eyes, each one indicating a significant increase in his attributes:

    [Strength +1]

    [Strength +1]

    [Strength +1]

    [Strength +1]

    [Strength +1]

    [Strength +1]

    [Speed +1]

    ...

    The power gained from the snake''s essence coursed through him, invigorating his body and mind. It was a wee surprise, as if the Sword had unlocked a new abilityˇŞstealth.

    Raven realized that with each cut of his sword, he could steal the enemy''s stats. Although the increase was small, granting only one point per second until the enemy perished, it was a valuable advantage in battle.

    As the serpent thrashed and convulsed, its energy gradually waned, its form dissipating into nothingness. Raven delivered one final strike, severing the connection between the Snake of Nirvana and the realm he stood in, banishing it from existence.

    Exhausted and battered, Raven sank to his knees, his breath ragged andbored. Elia rushed to his side, her concern etched across her face. Despite his weariness, a sense of triumph and relief welled within him. He had triumphed over insurmountable odds, defying the impossible and emerging victorious.

    Moreover, he felt that he had gained much more than a hard-fought victory. The most pleasant surprise came from the Sword itself. It had not only be stronger but had unlocked new abilities. Raven marveled at the thought of his stealthy strikes that could steal his enemies'' stats. It was a power that could turn the tide of any battle.

    As the echoes of battle faded, the chamber returned to its former serenity. The darkened grass withered away, turning into dust before Raven''s eyes. He watched as the entire garden slowly died, no longer protected by its fallen guardian.

    But Raven paid little attention to the dying garden. His focus was on the notifications that appeared before him. After killing the snake, he had gained multiple levels at once, his exhaustion gradually receding.

    Curiosity piqued, Raven opened the status screen to assess his newfound strength. Theprehensive disy revealed his current stats, skills, and equipment, all of which had significantly improved:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    yer Name: Hellfire

    yer ID: 001

    of Origin: Earth

    Age: 24

    Level: 51

    Exclusive Skill: Limitless (Passive)

    Exclusive Skill Grade: Unknown

    Exclusive Skill Number: 1

    Innate Nature: Neutral (Partially Demonic)

    Bloodline: [Forbidden Heir]

    Title Equipped: [Undefeated Warrior], [Killer]

    Coins: 979,876,937

    Stats:

    Attack: 250

    Agility: 290

    Defense: 230

    Dexterity: 260

    Luck: 35 (-5)

    Mana: 608

    Skills: [Berserker], [Lunar sh], [Cloud Footsteps], [Shield of Rezen], [me st], [Lightning Strike]

    Bloodline Skills: [Voice of Gods], [Blood Sacrifice], [Curse Resistance], [Limit Break], [Poison Immunity]

    Items Equipped: [Forbidden Heir''s Sword], [Phoenix Armor], [Boots of Wind''s Blessing], [Cloak of Protection], [Ring of Luck], [Ring of Critical Damage], [Ring of Recovery], [Ring of Sanity],[Pendant of Magician Giana]...

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    While Raven navigated through the status screen, his focus was abruptly interrupted by another notification that materialized before him, catching him off guard.

    [You have gained a new title: Enemy of Nature]

    The description of the title intrigued Raven.

    [Whenever fighting against yers who have an affinity with nature, all your stats will increase by 5 percent]

    Raven scratched the back of his head, contemting the implications of this newfound title. Now he was considered an enemy of Nature?

    As he shifted his attention to the Notification Screens, a multitude of messages rting to the thoughts of the gods flooded his view. An undeniable sensation told him that the Goddess of Nature was far from pleased with him.

    As expected, a series of notifications illuminated the disy:

    [The Goddess of Nature is furious]

    [The Goddess of Nature tried to curse you to death]

    12:46

    [Bloodline Skill has dispelled the curse]

    [The Goddess of Nature tried to curse you to death]

    [Bloodline Skill has dispelled the curse]

    [The Goddess of Nature is stunned]

    [The Goddess of Nature tried to curse you to death]

    [The Curse has failed]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry isughing hysterically]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry is very happy with you]

    [The Demon General of Puppetry wants to reward you with a skill]

    [You have received a new skill: Puppet Explosion]

    [The Goddess of Nature is infuriated. She has taken an oath of revenge]

    "You..." Raven stood up, shaking his head in frustration. "You chose to attack me first. And when I defend myself, you are angry at me?"

    "Since I have already offended you, why not provoke you a little more!" he eximed defiantly.

    The majority of the garden had already sumbed to destruction, except for the ancient tree positioned at its center. With his Nameless Sword in hand, Raven advanced toward the Ancient Tree.

    As notifications continued to flood his vision, Raven remained resolute, disregarding their persistent chimes. The goddess''s initial attempt to kill him and subsequent endeavor to curse him to death did not sit well with him.

    One misstep, and he could have met his demise. Their rtionship was already fraught with animosity, so why should he concern himself with her feelings?

    Summoning all his strength, Raven swung his sword with force, delivering a single strike that caused the ancient tree to topple gradually.

    But Raven''s assault did not cease there.

    "me st!"

    "me st!"

    He unleashed multiple consecutive me sts, reducing every remnant of the ancient tree to smoldering ashes until nothing remained.

    The entire gardeny in ruins, transformed into a barrenndscape devoid of any trace. An unsuspecting visitor would never have fathomed that a splendid garden had once thrived there.

    "Now you can curse me to your heart''s content!" Raven proimed, taunting the Goddess of Nature.

    He harbored no concern over the possibility of the Goddess descending upon him. Raven already understood that all the Gods and Demons were imprisoned within Hellfire, unable to escape their confines.

    This realm served as both their prison and their limitations. Consequently, they propagated their Bloodlines, aiming to select an Inheritor who could ultimately free them.

    Not only was the Goddess incapable of descending, but she also remained incapable ofmunicating with those who inherited her Bloodline.

    No other yer possessed the Bloodline Skill that enabled them to hear the gods who paid attention to them, unlike him.

    Essentially, the Goddess of Nature could only resort to cursing himˇŞalbeit indirectly.

 Chapter 47: The Three Towers

    47 Chapter 47: The Three Towers

    The ancient tree crumbled and disintegrated, reduced to mere ashes before Raven''s eyes.

    With its destruction, the very foundation of this ce seemed to crumble along with it. The imposing wall that had blocked his path upon entry came crashing down, but it was not the only wall to fall.

    On the exact opposite side, another wall crumbled, revealing a previously inessible path.

    It appeared as if this second path was meant to open only after the yer passed a trial. But now that everything here was destroyed, the wall came crashing down as well.

    Raven stood at a crossroads, presented with two options. He could either retreat along the path he hade from or venture forward into the unknown, taking the new path that might lead to the exit.

    Eventually, he came to a decision. He drank a healing potion, and even gave a little to Elia, who was hurt in the battle with him as well.

    Ensuring he was in optimal condition, Raven made his decision and entered the new passage before him, leaving the ruins of the garden behind.

    Minutes passed since his departure when movement stirred within the ashes of the fallen tree. Something emerged, struggling to free itself from the remnants.

    It revealed itself to be a small worm-like creature, which had made its home inside the ancient tree.

    The voice that had posed a question to Raven belonged to this tiny insect. The worm gazed at the dested garden, its home destroyed.

    It then nced at the passage Raven had chosen, only to ultimately opt for the opposite direction, retreating back into thebyrinthine maze.

    Raven traversed the new path, maintaining a vignt stance. Surprisingly, he encountered no traps along the way and was engulfed by a strange sense of safety.

    As he delved deeper into the passage, he noticed intricate carvings adorning the walls. These ancient depictions depicted legendary creatures that had once inhabited these corridors. The carvings seemed toe alive, whispering silent tales into Raven''s ears as he passed by.

    After what felt like an eternity, he finally glimpsed the end of the tunnel, where a soft glow beckoned him. The darkness gradually yielded to the increasing brightness as he advanced.

    Momentster, he stepped out of the tunnel, greeted by the sight of a beautiful blue sky. The fresh breeze brushed against his skin, offering respite after being confined within the tunnel''s depths.

    As Raven looked back, he realized he could no longer see Novice City. He stood halfway up a mountain, the tunnel stretching behind him.

    It was as if he had ventured into an entirely different realm by traversing through this passageway. The surroundings were unfamiliar, shrouded in an air of mystery.

    Yet, what captivated him most were the three colossal towers in the distance, their summits vanishing into the clouds.

    Each tower stood thousands of miles apart from Raven''s current position.

    The central tower emanated a pristine white hue, exuding a holy aura that adorned it with a bright and beautiful presence.

    As he focused on the central tower, a screen materialized before him, disying a single name:

    [Tower of Gods]

    On the left of the white tower, there was another Tower, just as tall. Both the towers appeared to be next to each other, yet thousands of miles apart. It was a strange feeling, as if the space itself was split apart between the two towers.

    This tower possessed a pitch-ck exterior, enveloped in a demonic aura. Dark creatures swirled around the malevolent structure. Another name materialized on the screen as Raven directed his attention to the left tower:

    [Tower of Demons]

    Mirroring the arrangement, a third tower upied the rightmost position.

    This tower appeared ordinary yet enigmatic, constructed from peculiar blue stones that shimmered like gems. It appeared as if the tower was made purely from gems.

    Raven noticed deep sword marks etched into the walls of the tower. The marks were a few inches deep, yet they didn''t even manage to scratch the surface, which made it evidence that the walls of the Tower were very thick, and almost unbreakable.

    Raven didn''t know how strong the attack was, which managed to leave those marks on the wall. However, he had a feeling that this strength was something that a mortal couldn''t possess.

    It became evident that he himself would be unable to leave even the slightest trace on the impervious walls, no matter how much he tried.

    As his gaze fixated on the tower, another name materialized before him, revealing its identity.

    [Tower of Heroes]

    All three towers towered above Raven to such an extent that their summits remained invisible, even though he stood thousands of miles away.

    Other than the three towers, there was no other significant structure in sight.

    "Do you know what those towers are?" He asked Elia. However, looking at her confused expressions, he remembered that he couldn''t understand her in this Avatar.

    He returned to his Puppet Master Avatar. His looks changed. The items that he had previously equipped returned to the item storage.

    After he finished switching Avatar, he was quite surprised. He felt much stronger than he felt when hest used this Avatar.

    In his curiosity, he opened the Stats to see just how far he had grown.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Name: Arash

    Species: Human

    Level: 25

    Bloodline: Puppet Master

    Innate Nature: Demonic

    Exclusive Skill: Limitless (Passive)

    Exclusive Skill Grade: Unknown

    Exclusive Skill Number: 1

    Title Equipped: None

    Coins possessed: None

    Stats:

    Attack: 70

    Agility: 87

    Defense: 68

    Dexterity: 65

    Luck: 15

    Mana: 150

    Bloodline Skills: [Puppet Creation], [Puppet Control], [Bloodline Suppression], [Merger], [Puppet Explosion]

    Items Equipped: None

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Seeing his stats, he was pleasantly surprised. He had grown by a lot, and it was mostly thanks to Elia, who had fought alongside him, transferring the experience.

    He felt somewhat grateful to Elia. Even though she wasn''t alive, she was the onlypanion he had. She was the only one he could trust in this world.

    "Thank you for everything," his calm voice fell in Elia''s ears.

 Chapter 48: Meeting again

    48 Chapter 48: Meeting again

    Elia finally understood what Raven was asking. She nodded in response. However, her countenance quickly shifted, and she drew her sword, positioning herself defensively in front of Raven.

    Even Raven, startled by the sound of approaching footsteps, turned to find a figure materializing out of thin air before him.

    The person who had just appeared donned a professional suit, and appeared somewhat like a human. He had a walking staff in his hand, even though he didn''t need it.

    "He isn''t an enemy. Calm down." Raven assured Elia, cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, signaling for her to lower her weapon.

    The person in the distance had humanoid features, but one thing made it certain that he wasn''t a human. It was the fact that he had a lizard-like tail behind him. His hands bore w-like appendages, and a thin veil concealed his face.

    "What are you doing out of the Bloodline Trial?" Raven asked as he moved Elia aside.

    The person before him was the Guardian of the Bloodline Trial stage. That''s where he was supposed to be, which was why Raven found his presence here surprising.

    "I knew you would cause somemotion after leaving the Bloodline Trials, but I never expected it to escte to this extent," the Guardian chuckled in response. "It has barely been a month, and you have already made enemies of the gods."

    Raven replied, "I did not make anyone my enemy. I merely defended myself. Are you here to kill me for that?"

    "Kill you?" the Guardian of the Bloodline Trial scoffed, finding amusement in Raven''s assumption. "Even if I wanted to, I cannot. We Guardians are forbidden from interfering. We exist solely to ensure that thews are upheld. In a way, this ce is also our prison, where we are mostly spectators."

    "Moreover, why would I want to kill you? If anything, I am intrigued. I want to witness the chaos you can unleash. I crave the excitement of something new," the Guardian revealed, an ted smile gracing his lips beneath the shroud.

    "So don''t worry. I''m not here to hurt you. As for why I am not in the Bloodline Trial, it''s because I switched ces. Now I''m responsible for something else... As for what, that''s for me to know."

    No one could see his expressions thanks to the shroud.

    After a momentary pause, heposed himself and took a deep breath. "But let us return to the matter at hand. You have achieved a remarkable feat by reaching the Towers in such a short time. For this, you are granted a special privilege, which is the reason I am here."

    "A special privilege?" Raven furrowed his brow, feeling somewhat lost amidst the revtions.

    He didn''t even understand the Novice Ind properly, or know where he was now. It seemed as though fate had guided him to this ce through a series of challenges without hisplete understanding.

    "You appear confused. I am genuinely unsure if you''re more lucky or more ignorant. You managed to reach here without even knowing what you did." The Guardian shook his head,ughing hysterically at Raven''s confusion.

    He was clear that Raven didn''t know anything about the three towers, which made sense, since before he could have the time to assimte, he ended up here, clearing that without even realizing.

    "The Bloodline Trial was to select your Bloodlines. Meanwhile, the Novice Vige was a ce where you were to be categorised through various challenges."

    "ording to their performance, they were to be assigned one of the Three Towers. The Novice Ind was the final selection stage. The reason I didn''t tell you about that, was because I wasn''t allowed to. However, I had a feeling you''ll surprise me."

    "Generally, the Towers were assigned on their own. After passing challenges, the yers were transferred to one of the three towers. They had no choice in that matter. But remember I mentioned a privilege?"

    "Because you achieved something that no other yer did, and passed the stage in such a short time, albeit through an expected loophole, you''ve been granted this special opportunity."

    "For you, the Towers won''t be assigned on their own. Instead, you''ll be allowed to choose one yourself!"

    The Guardian stepped aside, raising his hand in the direction of the Three Towers.

    "Choose. These three towers represent the three prisons of Hellfire... the Core of Hellfire!" he proimed.

    "The first Tower is the Tower of Demons, awless and treacherous ce teeming with demonic trials. Killing, theft, and other crimes aremonce there. However, many unique bloodlines of Demonic Gods can be discovered there."

    "That''s the Tower where all the Demon Gods are trapped, including the Demon General of Puppetry, waiting for you to free him."

    Hearing the Guardian''s words, Raven was taken aback. "You''ve been spying on me?"

    The multiple Bloodlines was his secret. He partially expected gods to be able to see his secret, but they couldn''t do anything. They couldn''tmunicate with anyone. The Guardians were different. They could talk.

    "I saw everything. And I am not the only Guardian. However, rest assured that we are bound by restrictions that prevent us from divulging your secrets to anyone. We can only observe, and even that is infrequent," the Guardian exined calmly.

    "Nevertheless," he continued, "even I am perplexed by your abilities. What is your Exclusive Skill? I cannot see it, norprehend what it actually is. You remain a mystery to us. I can only observe what you do, but not how you do it."

    Raven''s brow furrowed, a mix of relief and caution washing over him. He realized that the Guardian had been unable to ess most of his stats, including his coins and Exclusive Skill even at the start.

    It provided a sense offort, as he desired to keep his Exclusive Skill hidden, even from those who could potentially use that knowledge against him.

    He didn''t want others to know what his Exclusive Skill was, and that even he couldn''t control it.

    "The Second World is the Tower of Gods, where all the Gods have been imprisoned by that being..." the Guardian began, his voice trailing off.

    "That being?" Raven cut his words off in the middle, asking. "Who?"

    The Guardian momentarily went silent. He didn''t respond.

 Chapter 49: Not for you

    49 Chapter 49: Not for you

    After a momentary pause, the Guardian finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of mystery. "The Tower of Gods is a realm of its own, offering numerous opportunities for yers to achieve greatness. It is primarily suited for those with a pure nature, at least for the most part."

    He didn''t answer andpletely ignored Raven''s question. Instead, he continued with his exnation.

    "That ce is the best if you want to find Godly Bloodlines. Unfortunately, it won''t be easy like it was in the Bloodline Trial. You''re five years toote."

    "Most of the Bloodlines are already taken, and the ones which haven''t been taken, they are almost impossible to find."

    He provided Raven with as much information as he could, detailing the unique aspects of the Tower of Gods and its distinct set ofws.

    "Unlike the Demon Tower, the Tower of Gods operates under its own set of rules."

    "There are many things about the Tower of Gods, but unfortunately I can''t tell you that much. Just like the Tower of Demons, it also has a total of a hundred floors, with one Guardian managing each floor."

    After he finished, he turned his attention to the Third Tower. "Andstly, it''s the Tower of Heroes. Whenpared with the strength of the yers in each tower, the Tower of Heroes is the weakest."

    "Entrapped within the Tower of Heroes are the mortals who surpassed their limits, gaining godlike abilities in various eras... Whenpared by strength, they could stand equal to gods in their time."

    "They are the beings immortalized in mythical books of their world as imaginary existences in various tales. However, not many people know that they are real."

    "The Tower of Heroes is the safest tower inparison. It''s a world where killing another yer isn''t allowed. If someone kills another yer, they lose quite a lot of their hard earned levels, along with receiving some more punishments."

    Even though the Guardian gave as much information as he could, he knew it was hard for Raven to make up his mind. That was why, he also gave him a suggestion of his own.

    "You know you have offended a Goddess? Keep that in mind when selecting a Tower."

    He couldn''t directly influence Raven''s decision, but he subtly reminded him that the Tower of Gods was a bad choice, especially after what had happened.

    He knew that the most dangerous choice for Raven was the Tower of Gods. On the other hand, the Tower of Demons was a good ce for him.

    He already had a Demonic Bloodline. His nature was also partially Demonic. It was as if he was made for the Tower of Demons, where he could flourish the most.

    If it wasn''t for the loophole, he was sure that Raven would''ve been sent to the Tower of Demons.

    On the other hand, the Tower of Heroes was too weak, at least on the lower floors. Without enough challenges, it was hard for anyone to grow to their full potential.

    "So, which of the three do you want to select?" he asked.

    A notification appeared before Raven, with three options. Each of the three options had the name of a tower written before it, beckoning him to select one.

    Despite the implicit suggestion from the Guardian, Raven didn''t hastily make his decision.

    He knew his purpose for being here wasn''t solely to be stronger or explore. He had one specific reason foring here... It was for his brother.

    Focused on this goal, Raven asked the most crucial question, "Which Tower was my brother sent to?"

    He didn''t care which was easy or which path was dangerous. What he cared about was where he could find Arze and the other killers of his brother.

    The Guardian had a feeling that Raven was going to ask that question. He scratched the back of his head, slightly hesitating in answering.

    The Guardian hesitated, scratching the back of his head. Eventually, he responded, "As I mentioned before, I am unable to provide specific information about other yers. However, I can offer a little insight: the most dangerous path is often the one individuals find themselves on."

    Though the Guardian''s response was vague, Raven discerned its meaning.

    For him, the most dangerous path was the Tower of Gods, where he had already made a few enemies. And now, Arze and the others were also there. That made it even more dangerous. It was precisely what he sought.

    Without hesitation, he reached out his hand and ced his finger on the second option.

    [You have Selected the Tower of Gods. Please confirm]

    [Y/N]

    Raven confirmed the option. However, to his surprise, nothing happened. The screen disappeared, and a new screen appeared with the same exact words, asking him to select between one of the Three Towers.

    Even the Guardians appeared surprised. As soon as Raven clicked, he should''ve disappeared, and entered the Tower of his choice. Yet he was still in his spot.

    Frowning, Raven reached out his hand, touching the same option. Unfortunately, this time he couldn''t even touch the options.

    Not only the second option, but all the other options were blocked out, and he didn''t select any option at all. It was as if the screen had bepletely unresponsive. The screen waspletely frozen.

    Raven turned to the Guardian. "Why can''t I select? I can''t even touch the screen now."

    The Guardian had also experienced this situation the first time. Even though Raven was the first person to receive the option to choose, it wasn''t supposed to freeze.

    He rubbed his chin, trying to think. He could see that nothing was wrong with the screen. Everything was working perfectly fine and there was no problem. Still, Raven couldn''t select the option.

    "Everything seems to be fine. If you still can''t click, that means that the screen this time isn''t meant for you." As he spoke, he turned to Elia.

    Elia wasn''t a yer and wasn''t supposed to get the option. She could go with her master, so this was strange. Still, he had to test.

    Raven told Elia to step forward and touch, to see if the screen this time was meant for her.

    Unfortunately, Elia also couldn''t touch it. The screen remainedpletely unresponsive.

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